When Hutto firefighters were called to assist June Couvillon after she fell and injured herself June 25, they were familiar with the route to the house. Three weeks earlier Hutto Fire Rescue was the first to respond to the same home when Couvillon’s sister, Ruth Couvillon, had a medical emergency and needed to be transported to the hospital, said Ruth Couvillon’s daughter Deby Green. “They came in, and the words I would use to describe them are just amazingly kind and gentle and compassionate and respectful. I’m getting choked up just thinking about it,” Green said. “My mom is 88 years old. They knelt down with her; they were talking with her. The ambulance got there about five minutes after.” HFR formed in 1896 as a volunteer fire department and is now a branch of Williamson County Emergency Services that has 21 full- and part-time staff positions, Fire Chief Scott Kerwood said. Kerwood plans to give City Council a presentation on HFR, its needs and accomplishments as part of Hutto’s public safety series later this year, he said. HFR is applying for accreditation through the Texas Fire Chiefs Association’s Best Practices Recognition Program, which could help lower the department’s insurance rating and, in turn, could lower Hutto home insurance rates, Kerwood said. In the midst of applying for accreditation, HFR has been helping Hutto-based Stout Industries Inc. design specialty LED ladder lights and plans to incorporate the technology once it is manufactured, Kerwood said. The battery-powered FIRE lights are designed to replace the metal end caps typically found on fire station ladders and prevent injuries sustained when smoke or darkness obscures equipment, Stout Industries founder Ryan Stout said. Although innovation and quality personnel have helped HFR make the most of its resources, Kerwood said the station is functioning with less than the recommended staff and equipment. Three years ago an insurance study determined that—for Hutto’s size—HFR should have three additional engines, he said. Another challenge is the lack of a ladder truck. Currently, Hutto Fire Rescue only has ground ladders, which cannot reach the top of tall buildings such as hotels and the East Williamson County Higher Education Center, Kerwood said. “[The lack of vehicles and equipment] presents challenges every day, especially if we have multiple calls in different parts of the district,” he said. “With the growth of the community comes increased numbers of emergencies, increased calls for service.” HFR’s annual budget of about $1.9 million is supplied through property taxes, so additional resources would depend on an increase in taxpayers or special funding approved by City Council, Kerwood said. Although HFR is experiencing the challenges of a rapidly growing service area, Green said she does not believe HFR will lose its personal touch or dedication to the community. “Would a mom who had four kids love them less than a mom who had one kid? I just think as the city grows—because of the hearts of these men and women—[HFR’s]heart for the city is going to grow,” she said. “Because they give more than is expected, I don’t think that’s ever going to change.”