EMERGENCY? CALL 9-1-1
ABOUT US
Protecting You & Your Family
Travis County ESD No.14 is the governmental entity that is responsible for Emergency Services in our area. We provide services to the community through a contract with the Volente Fire Department.
mission & vision
Mission Statement: To protect life and property by being prompt, skillful, and caring. Our actions are anchored in the core values of courage, leadership, and duty.
Vision Statement: An efficient and effective Fire Department serving ESD No. 14 and seamlessly supporting the Central Texas emergency response community.
esd no. 14 commissioners
The ESD is governed by 5 commissioners. They serve two-year terms and are appointed by the Travis County Commissioners Court. Meetings are held on the third Monday of the month, 7:00 PM at the Volente Fire Hall.
Comments may be mailed to esd14board@esd14.org
Regular meetings start at 7:00 PM
John Schlotzhauer
Vice-President
Lonnie Moore
President
Roger Shull
Secretary
Lizza Harrison
Commissioner
Dorothy Wilhelm
Treasurer
volente fire department board
The Volente Fire Department is managed by a 5 member board that is elected by community members. They serve a two year staggered term.
The board meets monthly on the second Monday of the month, 7:00 PM at the Fire Hall.
z. smith
PRESIDENT
MARK metro
VICE PRESIDENT
Jeannie Shull
TREASURER
DAVE Hoffman
SECRETARY
ROGER MARCUM
MEMBER AT LARGE
volente fire dept. history
TO PRESERVE LIFE and PROPERTY
Volente Fire Department was established in 1961 by the residents of the Volente area. We provide fire protection as well as Emergency Medical Response. There has been a large growth in the area over recent years, and we look forward to the ongoing expansion of our services in the future to better serve our area.
The Department currently has a duty staff of 3 professionally certified fighters that are on duty 24 / 7.
Volente Fire Department / Travis County ESD No. 14 covers an area in Northwestern Travis County, on the East side of Lake Travis. It's boundaries roughly lie along and inside FM 620-FM 2769-Bullick Hollow Road-Lime Creek Road, and the banks of the lake itself.
Volente Fire Department is a member of the Capital Area Fire Chief's Association. We have auto-aid and mutual aid agreements with all of our neighboring departments. The area departments work together to ensure that the proper resources are available for the different types of emergencies that are encountered.
Chief Rob Zimmerman
Chief Rob Zimmerman has been a member of Volente Fire Department for the past ten years and a participant in the Fire Service for 15 years. Rob has a wife, Kathy, three grown daughters, two grandsons, and two grand dogs. Rob and his wife built a new home in Liberty Hill this past fall. Rob enjoys the opportunity to serve both Volente Fire Department and Travis County ESD No. 14 and looks forward to our future.
Michael Allphin
Michael began his career with Volente Fire Department in 2008 as a part time firefighter and now serves as B-shift Lieutenant. On his days away from the station, he operates his own small business. When given the time, he enjoys fishing and golfing. He is married and has 4 dogs, one of which is the well-known station mascot, Jag.
Eric Harr
Eric Harr is the apparatus operator on A-shift. He has been in the fire service since 1996 and has been with Volente for over 10 years. Eric reached the rank of Fire- fighter/Advanced EMT and in his spare time, he is president of the Texas Firefighter Games. Eric is married with three children.
Justin Manteufel
Justin has been a firefighter for Volente Fire Department since March 2018. He studied kinesiology at San Diego State University. Once back in Austin, he became a personal trainer and had his own gym for about eight years, assisting clients with their health and activity. He is married with two young kids. Justin’s hobbies include: playing basketball, hiking, biking, fishing and camping.
get to know your vfd
meet your firefighters
Aaron Rebeiro
Aaron started with Volente Fire Department in 2014 as a volunteer with an EMT certification. He continued gaining training and certifications while working in the ICU at North Austin Medical Center. In 2018, Aaron completed his fire academy and began working part-time, quickly moving to full-time with Volente Fire Department. He currently works as an Engineer/AEMT on B-shift and an EMS instructor at EMTS Academy.
Christopher Rodriguez
Chris Rodriguez holds the position of A-shift Lt. He has been with the Volente Fire department for 15 years. While managing A-shift and assisting with the day-to-day functions of the Volente Fire Department, he also holds certifications in general rescue, confined space rescue, high angle rescue, trench rescue, and swift water rescue. Chris has been married for 10 years. During his time off, he and his wife enjoy the back country.
Michael Whiteley
Mike Whiteley joined the department in 2001 after moving to Volente in 1999. An avid outdoorsman, Mike Whiteley has been a resident of Volente and a member of the
Department for over 20 years. After completing Fire/Medical certifications he joined the paid staff in 2008. Mike bought property about a mile from the station in 2004 and continues to reside in the district.
chase westerman
Chase began his journey in the fire service in 2003 as a volunteer. He decided he wanted to be a part of the Fire Service when he grew up and pursued it as a career. Chase now works for two different Fire Departments in Travis County. In his free time, he enjoys spending time with his wife and son and being outdoors
Jag
Originally from San Angelo (rescue shelter), Jag recently celebrated his 15th birthday.
Jag has served 10 years as the VFD “fire dog” and likes to start his mornings at VFD enjoying his banana breakfast with the Chief. While on duty, Jag ensures no visitor goes unannounced and keeps an eye on the station when the truck has to go out. We are thankful for Jag and his company. Come by and say hi sometime!
ESD no. 14 FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Q: Who provides our fire protection?
A: Travis County Emergency Services District No. 14 is the grassroots government entity responsible for fire protection and emergency medical first response in 16 square miles of western Travis County, including the Village of Volente. ESD No. 14 funds and provides emergency services through the Volente Fire Department. The ESD is overseen by five commissioners appointed by the Travis County Commissioners Court. In 2023, they are Lonnie Moore, John Schlotzhauer, Roger Shull, Dorothy Wilhelm and Lizza Harrison.
Q: Who provides our MEDICAL TRANSPORT?
A: Advanced paramedic technicians and medical transport are provided by Austin-Travis County EMS. But, ESD No. 14 fire fighters are also certified Emergency Medical Technicians (EMTs), and they are closer to you than the ambulance. So, for a medical emergency, ESD14/VFD will arrive first, in a fire truck. Our personnel will handle your immediate needs. The ambulance will arrive a few minutes later, to provide additional treatment and transport to the most appropriate hospital. If your injury is very severe, or traffic conditions may delay your transport, the medics may dispatch STAR Flight, Travis County’s air medical evacuation service.
Q: What is an emergency services district?
A: Emergency services districts are political subdivisions of the state of Texas, like school districts and municipalities.
Q: Where does our ESD get its money?
A: ESD No. 14 levies a property tax of 10 cents per $100 property value. That means that for a home valued at $775,000, the owner pays $775 a year in taxes—$65 a month — to know that trained, professional-grade fire-fighter/EMTs will be at the door within minutes in an emergency. Under the state constitution, that’s the limit on any ESD’s property tax rate. ESD No. 14 also collects the maximum sales tax available to local governments. Sales tax accounts for 55 percent of the ESD's revenues.
Q: What’s the greatest fire threat in ESD no. 14?
A: Wildfire.
Q: What’s the greatest financial threat to ESD no. 14?
A: Annexation by the City of Austin could strip out large amounts of the ESD’s tax base and threaten its ability to provide the quality of services its residents expect. Despite recent legislation, Austin can still annex lucrative commercial property in ESD No. 14, significantly reducing the District’s property tax and sales tax revenues.