SAN ANTONIO --
After 11 years of providing assistance to local firefighters, Bexar County Emergency Scene Rehab's service may soon come to an end.
The group helps out the San Antonio Fire Department and many county departments by bringing out their bus, which is equipped with water, snacks, restrooms and first aid.
"After Jan. 1, we will no longer be able to operate," said Bexar County Rehab Director of Operations Bobby Briggs.
Briggs said the cost of the supplies and fuel has gone up and so has the demand for their services.
He said the expenses combined has put the group in the red.
"We're ending the year with already an $8,000 deficit," said Briggs. "(That's) just due to the increase in service calls."
San Antonio fire officials said Wednesday that this is bad news for the firefighters who depend on the nonprofit group.
"They have been on emergency scenes with us with their bottled water, their cups of coffee, their rehab bus," said Deborah Foster with the San Antonio Fire Department. "Everything has come into a great benefit for the fire department. We're very saddened to hear about those type of financial strains."
Bexar County Rehab gets some funding from the county and some from the Bulverde Fire Department, but for the most part their volunteers have been providing the funds by holding fundraisers
Briggs said Wednesday that this year, those funds won't be enough.
"If we cannot raise the funds, we'll actually have to dissolve the operation altogether," said Briggs. "We'll have to sell off our equipment to pay off our debt and the service will be completely dissolved."
However, Briggs said they are hoping they will get some help to continue providing a much needed service.
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