Leadership Dripping Springs Health Day

The fourth class of Leadership Dripping Springs underwent their Health and Social Services Day on Mar. 12.  Class members were briefed by first-responders and area health professionals, and visited the facilities of North Hays Fire/Rescue and EMS.

Leadership Dripping Springs is hands-on, eight-month course hosted by the Dripping Springs Chamber of Commerce, designed to introduce residents to multifaceted aspects of the community—ranging from infrastructure such as health care and waste water, to city government, to other aspects that make up Dripping Springs. 

It is patterned after courses offered by the Chambers of Commerce in cities such as Austin and Dallas, and is broad enough that even long-term residents are surprised at how much they learn, and how many connections they make.  “Our objective is to encourage people to get involved with the community, and give them the tools and resources they need to make a difference,” Susan Kimball, President of the Dripping Springs Chamber of Commerce, said.

One interesting new twist is that class four of LDS was briefed by two prior graduates of LDS - Fire Chief Scott Collard and ESD #1 Administrator (EMS) Robert Lamb. Both gave overviews of their respective organizations to the current LDS class, and both are graduates of the second LDS class that was given.

“We were more than happy to provide an overview of how the fire department and our emergency services district work,” Collard said. “I know that the information that I learned about the community and all the different aspect in class two was very eye opening and of value for community leaders and business leaders alike. I think it’s a great program, and I was happy to give something back by hosting class four.”

Understanding the work of first responders was easier by the locations at which the briefings were made. “It was a very foggy day, with multiple vehicle incidents, so the alarms kept going off while we were at the fire station and the EMS station,” Kimball said. 

Precinct 4 Constable Ron Hood also visited with the class and presented a Civilian Response to Active Shooter Events (CRASE) Course. CRASE is part of an ongoing outreach by both Hays County Constable Offices, and the Hays County Sheriff’s Office to educate civilians on survival skills should they ever find themselves in a situation with an active shooter. It is based on Advance Law Enforcement Rapid Response Training (ALLERT), which was a response to the Columbine High School shooting incident in 1999.

On healthcare, the class met with Family First Chiropractic, Stem Cell Center Dripping Springs, Springs Veterinary Clinic, and Dripping Springs Chocolate Company-- all highlighted the contributions of their businesses made to health and wellness of the community.

“I’d like to thank  Corridor Title and Chick Fil A who generously sponsored meals,” Kimball said.

Persons interested in applying for class five of Leadership Dripping Springs, can call the Chamber at (512) 858-7000 for more information.