Rescue-1 Deploys to Texas: Fire Department Coffee Supports Communities After Catastrophic Flooding

The water rose before dawn on Independence Day.

In Central Texas, rivers swelled and surged with unimaginable force. In just hours, entire communities changed forever.

The flooding that began over the holiday would soon become the deadliest inland flood in the United States in nearly half a century. More than 130 lives were lost. Dozens of children died. Hundreds of families were displaced, left to pick up the pieces. And as rescue crews searched the Guadalupe River for the missing, the heartbreak continued to unfold day after day.

At Fire Department Coffee, our mission has always been to support firefighters, first responders, and communities in crisis. And this time, the need was overwhelming.

Rescue-1, our custom-built disaster relief fire truck, fired up and rolled south on the morning of Tuesday, July 8. Built by Rosenbauer America and designed specifically for moments like this, the truck serves as a mobile coffee station, morale booster, and logistical lifeline. Wherever it rolls in, it brings connection, comfort, and support.

Thanks to a longtime partnership with a trusted trucking company, a husband-and-wife team, helped by driving from Illinois to Texas. Meanwhile, Fire Department Coffee Founder and CEO Luke Schneider flew out to meet them on the ground and lead the effort.

What followed was a multi-day operation, spanning multiple relief sites and serving a wide range of people — first responders, volunteers, displaced families, and grieving communities.

‘It Lifted Spirits’

The first stop was in Leander, Texas, where Rescue-1 arrived at Round Mountain Baptist Church. The team set up a mobile shower unit, contributed by Deployed Logix, to support residents and emergency workers without access to water or power. The church, located near a heavily damaged residential area, became a hub of relief activity.

From there, the team headed west to Kerrville, one of the most severely impacted areas along the Guadalupe River. The destruction was impossible to ignore.

“There were entire trees just bent and stripped apart,” Schneider said. “You could see how high the water had been by the bark that was ripped off the trunks. It’s hard to imagine how much force it took to do that kind of damage. It completely changed the landscape.”

Rescue-1 spent multiple days stationed at the Incident Command Post in Kerrville, where it served coffee to search crews, first responders, and support staff. Cooling towels from Fire Ninja Safety Equipment were distributed, along with soup from Pholicious. Bags of Fire Department Coffee were handed out by the hundreds. 

“One of the comments I kept hearing was, ‘You brought this fire truck all the way from Illinois to be here?’” Schneider said. “People couldn’t believe someone would come that far to serve coffee. But it meant something to them. It lifted spirits.”

Over the course of the trip, the team set up at a variety of locations. 

They served coffee at Walmart in Kerrville, where staff and customers were still reeling from the disaster. 

They visited a support center where families with missing or deceased loved ones could find both emotional support and help with essentials like necessary documents. 

They visited a community center assisting displaced residents. 

They dropped off supplies at the central fire station in Kerrville and later traveled to the Ingram Fire Volunteer Department, where the local fire chief had suffered a fatal heart attack during the initial response.

“This one was particularly devastating because of how many people died,” Schneider said. “What also stood out was how much the community was coming together. People from Texas just have big hearts and wanted to support their communities and help out in some way.”

The team wrapped up their final day back where it started: in Leander. They returned to the church and local fire station, packed up the shower unit, and served one last round of coffee to volunteers, National Guard members, firefighters, and residents still working to clean up the area. As rain began to fall again and evacuation orders resumed in flood-prone neighborhoods, it was clear that recovery would be a long road.

‘Remind These People That They’re Not Alone’

Rescue-1 has deployed to disaster zones across the country — hurricanes, tornadoes, wildfires, and now floods. Each mission is different. But the purpose is the same.

It’s about being there when people need it most and the power of a hot cup of coffee, handed out with compassion, during one of the worst days someone might ever experience.

“They’re going to be there for a long time, searching and recovering,” Schneider said. “Our role isn’t to solve everything. It’s to show up, serve, and remind these people that they’re not alone.”

Fire Department Coffee continues to support sick and injured firefighters, communities impacted by disasters, and the people who rally around them. Our amazing customers help fund that mission and keep efforts like this one going strong.

Rescue-1 is back home for now. But it’s ready for the next call. Whenever and wherever it comes.