“This new Texas A&M Forest Service building will strengthen our wildfire response, enhance aviation operations and support the mission of protecting lives, land and natural resources across Central Texas.”

Those were the words of Randall Fuchs, task force coordinator with the local TFS office, who joined with current and past officials to see this project long in the works finally break ground.

Former County Judge Mark Stroeher was on hand. He and other officials began discussing this project over a decade ago.

“The county deeded this property to the Forest Service back in 2015,” Stroeher said. “We had a vision at that time that there would be a permanent facility here so we could use that as a hub for the Texas A&M Forest Service because we had such a strong working relationship with them and the Commissioners Court and the city.”

Stroeher outlined the bureaucratic roadmap that had to be pursued, which added time to the eventual groundbreaking. He said the county, which owns the airport, had to get clearance from the Federal Aviation Administration and the State of Texas to get the land released so they could deed it to the TFS.

“It’s been a little bit longer than most of us were hoping, but this is a great day,” he said. “With a permanent facility here, it’s going to enhance the first-response capabilities in the region.”

Former Gillespie Airport Manager Greg Snelgrove said the idea for the facility actually began back in the 1990s when the then-Commissioners Court voiced support for the 22plus acres to be designated for non-aeronautical use.

Snelgrove was later at an emergency training exercise and overheard Paul Hannemann say it would be nice if there was a permanent fire-fighting facility out at the airport.

“I’m an Army aviator, and I love the idea that we’ve got SEATS (Single Engine Air Tankers) coming in here and operating from all over the country,” Snelgrove said. “It’s thrilling.”

Roger Hansen, also a former airport manager, agreed.

“The FAA agreed to our plan, and you see the fruits of it today,” Hansen said. “It’s important to the residents and to the region.”

Former Precinct 4 County Commissioner Donnie Schuch also supported the initiative.

“As the old saying goes, ‘good things come to those who wait.’ And, boy, have we waited,” Schuch said. “But there are a lot of great folks here who had a lot to do with it.

“My Aggie buddy Paul Hannemann (TFS incident response coordinator) and I got together, and when you get two Aggies together, they get intense and hard-headed and try to see things through,” Schuch said.

The retired commissioner pointed out how the central location will allow wildfire-fighting planes to be deployed in any direction.

Hannemann, who now serves on the county airport’s advisory board, said TFS established a presence in Gillespie County 45 years ago in 1981 with two contracted instructors. It later established a mobile command post during a wildfire in neighboring Kerr County, helped by Gillespie County Volunteer Fire Department personnel.

Prior to that, Hannemann said, TFS had served a 52-county area in the wooded East Texas area. In 1993, legislation was passed to make the TFS responsible for battling wildfires statewide. Hannemann said a phone was installed at his home, and he was the lone employee that helped to direct coverage of wildfires.

Hannemann also praised the business community in Fredericksburg, from being able to lease an affordable office, to using FBO, owned by Ethan Crane and formerly by David Smith. He also thanked the Commissioners Court, City of Fredericksburg and the Estenson family, which owns the airport’s Hangar Hotel, along with the Allen Keller Company.

TFS Director Al Davis thanked the community for the support of the emergency workers. “Incidents really start and end locally,” Davis said. “We need your support. Community is important and we appreciate you — the locals, the VFDs and the whole community.”

Current County Judge Daniel Jones gave credit to the former county and community leaders for the tenacity to carry out the project.

“Trying to coordinate from the local, state and federal level is a task,” he said. “We’re asking more of our firefighters every year, so I’m proud to have this facility here so we can support the efforts of our firefighters.”

Current Airport Manager Tony Lombardi said last year, the Forest Service had deployed assets here for 142 days. During the large wildfire, pilots flew 208 hours and performed 287 drops, including 127,000 gallons of water and 54,000 gallons of fire retardant.

“They helped the community and with this groundbreaking, it will ensure we support them for many years after this,” Lombardi said.

“Trying to coordinate from the local, state and federal level is a task. We’re asking more of our firefighters every year, so I’m proud to have this facility here to support the efforts of our firefighters.”

— County Judge Daniel Jones