DeWitt County Emergency Coordinator Billy Jordan reported on the family affected by the December 27th fire at 512 E. Reuss St.
“They are holding up. Spirits are good,” Jordon said. Fortunately, no one was injured, and the fire is currently under investigation.
The community showed a tremendous outpouring of concern following the incident, as seen on the Cuero Record Facebook page. EMC Jordan mentioned that the Red Cross provided assistance by covering the loss of their prescription medications and giving them a Walmart gift card to shop for clothes and essentials. Additionally, a Westhoff church donated a quilt, and the Ladies Auxiliary of the Cuero Fire Department supplied food and other necessities. There are also discussions about providing them with a trailer to park at their home.
On January 3, EMC Jordan, City Manager Wayne Berger, and firefighters Chris Oakes, DJ Truman, and Justin Adcock gathered at the Cuero Fire Department to discuss fire preparedness, particularly over the Christmas and New Year holidays.
“A fire can still happen,” Berger cautioned.
The group emphasized the importance of having a “Go Bag” prepared for emergencies. This bag should include insurance paperwork, legal documents, clothing, medications, and other essential items. Oakes reminded everyone that while many believe their documents are safe in fireproof safes, those safes are not waterproof.
“It’s a good wakeup call for community members to prepare for emergencies. Your mindset should be: this could happen, and we need to be prepared when it does,” Jordan said.
On December 9th of last year, the DeWitt County Commissioners Court imposed a temporary ban on aerial fireworks, which was lifted on January 2. “The county had a New Year’s fire-work ban, and we only experienced one dumpster fire at Scenic Overlook on Hwy 183,” Oakes reported.
The burn ban was in effect until January 4, and there are clear Do's and Don'ts regarding fire safety. For instance, fires should not be started at night. Jordan recounted the story of a man who ignited a fire at midnight in the country when the ban hours had been lifted.
“The biggest thing is the safety of our firefighters, and so with the fire at night, visibility becomes an issue, and injuries occur,” Jordan said.
Berger added that it is essential to notify dis- patchers or fire departments about controlled burns to avoid wasting limited firefighting resources.
Firefighting resources are currently stretched thin. When the Reuss fire occurred, a call was made for all first responders, including the Cuero Fire Department, Cuero Volunteer Fire Department, Yoakum Volunteer Fire Department, Yorktown Volunteer Fire Department, Cuero Police Department (for traffic control), DeWitt County Emergency Management, TDEM, Cuero EMS, Texas Gas, and City of Cuero Utilities.
There is a total of 28 personnel in the Cuero Fire Department, with seven paid staff and 21 volunteers. Only the Yoakum and Cuero Fire Departments have paid staff, while Thomaston, Meyersville, Westhoff, Yorktown, Yoakum, and Fordtran are served by volunteer call areas.
“So if we get a fire, then we got most people coming to that fire because everybody's thin on people. We try to get more people there to attack the fire, “Oakes said.
The Cuero Fire Department is actively looking for firefighters and EMTs. The department is responsible for approximately 5 square miles of the City of Cuero and supports neighboring fire departments within DeWitt County. If you're interested in stepping up to serve and protect lives and homes, please apply at https:// www.cityofcuero.com/ Jobs.aspx?JobID=98.
