Name
Reuben Salas
Title/Role with the BVFD
Lieutenant
Years with BVFD
3 years
“Day Job”
Manager at Willies grill and Icehouse @ Leon Springs
Favorite part about working with the BVFD
My favorite part is helping the public. I feel that being part of the BVFD is a great way to help others and give back to the community.
Why did you choose to volunteer with the BVFD?
I wanted to learn more about the fire service and see if I wanted to make a career out of it.
Least favorite part of your role with the BVFD?
Not having enough time to make more calls.
What’s one thing that people don’t know about being a volunteer Fire Fighter?
We train once a week so we are always learning and keeping up with the latest going on in the fire service.
Name
Rick Hoffart
Title/Role with the BVFD
Engineer
Years with BVFD
2 years
“Day Job”
General Manager WillFixIt
Favorite part about working with the BVFD
Helping people in need
Why did you choose to volunteer with the BVFD?
Been in the service business all my life. This was a perfect fit.
Least favorite part of your role with the BVFD?
Have to ask for money for tools and supplies.
What’s one thing that people don’t know about being a volunteer Fire Fighter?
It’s a lot of work. Between training, running calls and cleaning and maintenance it could be 10 to 20 hours per week on a busy week.
Name
Zack David Ryals
Title/Role with BVFD
Probationary Volunteer
Years with BVFD
This is my 1st Year.
“Day Job”
I live and work in Bulverde, as a Water Well Driller and Service Tech.
Favorite part about working with the BVFD
The greatest part about volunteering at BVFD is working with all the awesome people & interesting apparatus.
Why did you choose to volunteer with the BVFD?
The reason I chose the BVFD station to volunteer at is for the laid-back country atmosphere.
Least favorite part of your roll with the BVFD?
The worst part about being a volunteer is hauling butt to the station to get suited up for a Call that gets cancelled.
What’s one thing that people don’t know about being a volunteer Fire Fighter?
One thing most people don’t realize about volunteering is how satisfying it is to learn about the equipment and help out the community, everyone can help!
Name
Christopher Perez
Title/Role with the BVFD:
Firefighter.
Years with BVFD:
I became a member with BVFD on 18Sep12, so roughly a year and a half.
“Day Job”
I’m currently a full time student at the University of Texas at San Antonio where I study Criminal Justice. I’m also a Youth Counselor at the Boys & Girls Club.
Favorite part about working with the BVFD
Working with BVFD gives me a chance to do something substantial with my free time. Being able to lend a helping hand to people in my community is more rewarding than I could have ever thought.
Why did you choose to volunteer with the BVFD?
Reuben Salas, my lieutenant, brought me to Bergheim. He taught me the basics of what I needed to know and it didn’t take very long for me to love with firefighting. BVFD’s station is also a few minutes from my house, it only made sense to go to a fire department close to home.
Least favorite part of your role with the BVFD?
Station clean up and maintenance. Large incidents require the use of a lot of resources, which means we have to constantly check them and keep them in tip top shape. That applies to everything, from the fire engine itself all the way to our personal fire gear.
What’s one thing that people don’t know about being a volunteer Fire Fighter?
Although we aren’t a paid staff, we operate in a professional manner. Depending on our call volume, the firefighters at BVFD can spend 10+ hours a week simply keeping equipment in proper operating order. I know that the officers (lieutenants, chief, etc.) dedicate much more time than that, planning training for us as well as keeping BVFD operational.
