Today we’d like to introduce you to Diedra Brownell.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
After a fire department family experienced a profound tragedy, the Round Rock Fire Department and the broader Round Rock community stepped in to help in extraordinary ways. That response led to the creation of the Round Rock Fire Foundation. Born out of firefighters’ commitment to supporting their own and a desire to give back to the community that supported them, the foundation is led by a team committed to public service and grounded in compassion, legacy, and leadership.
Wylie Brownell, now an Assistant Chief with the Round Rock Fire Department, and his wife, Diedra Brownell, have long been part of the department’s fire family. At the time their daughter, Bailey, became critically ill, Wylie was working on shift, and their family was living the same rhythms and demands as any other fire family.
When the family was called out of town for a family emergency and Bailey was too sick to travel, firefighters assumed responsibility for her care. Members of the department made sure she had every meal, delivering food to a cooler on the front porch so Bailey could eat whenever she was hungry. A crew from Wylie’s station cooked dinner, then cleaned the kitchen, took out the trash, and played with the family’s dogs before making sure she was settled in for the night.
With her parents away, the crew was there to ensure Bailey was safe and cared for. Many of them had never met her before. They showed up because they cared about Wylie, and because in the Round Rock Fire Department, family includes the families of firefighters.
Later, as Bailey’s condition worsened, the family spent nearly a month at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. During that time, firefighters from the Round Rock Fire Department worked full 24-hour shifts for Wylie, remaining on duty so he could be with his family. Each shift covered meant another full day at his daughter’s side, made possible by others away from their own families.
When Bailey passed away, close friend and fellow firefighter Aaron Campbell arrived at the Brownell home within minutes. Fire department personnel followed, filling the house. In the weeks that followed, firefighters continued to show up, cooking meals and ensuring the family was never without support. They helped plan Bailey’s funeral, and the City of Round Rock donated a building for her celebration of life. The department and the community remained present long after the initial moment of loss.
A few years later, Campbell’s family, Aaron and Emily, experienced the devastating loss of their teenage daughter, Savanna. Walking alongside people they knew so well, the Brownells once again witnessed the depth of care and presence that surrounded a fire family in loss. That experience reinforced a simple conviction: this kind of care could be organized, sustained, and available whenever it’s needed. They began asking how to build on what already existed, so care could come more easily and more consistently. Those conversations became the beginning of the Round Rock Fire Foundation.
The foundation’s mission is to build structure around the kind of support both families experienced firsthand. This includes the 1884 Fund, a benevolent fund that provides confidential financial assistance to fire families during times of hardship. The foundation also supports existing Round Rock Fire Department family-centered initiatives, including the RRFF National Spouse Conference and structured onboarding classes for new fire families entering the department.
In addition to supporting fire families, the foundation is committed to giving back to the broader Round Rock community that stands behind its firefighters. Its work focuses on identifying gaps where support is needed and stepping in with practical, coordinated help.
At its core, the Round Rock Fire Foundation’s mission was born from gratitude turned into responsibility and lasting care. It exists to ensure that support does not depend on circumstance, and that no fire family has to navigate crisis alone.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
It has not been a smooth road, but it has been a purposeful one.
The hardest part was translating care that had always been personal and informal into something structured, consistent, and sustainable. What the department and community did for our family happened because people knew each other, trusted each other, and showed up instinctively. Building a foundation meant asking a different question: how do you make that level of care available even when people don’t know who to call, when timing is off, or when circumstances are more complicated?
There were practical challenges as well. Establishing governance, defining boundaries between the department and the foundation, and ensuring confidentiality and fairness in financial support all required careful planning. We were intentional about building something that would last, which meant slowing down at times, asking hard questions, and resisting the urge to rush simply because the need was real.
There was also the emotional weight of revisiting experiences that are still close to us. Telling our story publicly, especially when it involves our daughter, requires care and restraint. We had to learn how to share enough to explain the “why” without letting the foundation be defined by a single moment.
What made the challenges manageable was the same thing that inspired the foundation in the first place: support from the department, dedicated partners, and a shared commitment to doing this work well. The road hasn’t been smooth, but it has been clear, and that clarity has guided every decision we’ve made.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about Round Rock Fire Foundation?
The Round Rock Fire Foundation exists to strengthen the support system around the firefighters and families of the Round Rock Fire Department, and to do so in a way that is thoughtful, structured, and sustainable.
At its core, the foundation focuses on three areas: family support, wellness, and crisis response. Our work is shaped by lived experience inside the fire service and by an understanding that while departments do an exceptional job operationally, there are needs that sit outside what a city or department can formally provide.
One of our primary initiatives is the 1884 Fund, which provides confidential financial assistance to fire families during times of hardship. The goal is simple but important: to reduce added stress during moments when families are already carrying enough. Support is delivered with discretion, fairness, and respect.
Beyond crisis support, the foundation specializes in family-centered programming that strengthens connection before challenges arise. We support initiatives such as the National Spouse Conference and structured onboarding for new fire families, helping ensure families are informed, connected, and integrated into the department culture from the beginning.
What sets the Round Rock Fire Foundation apart is that it was built from the inside out. It is led by fire families, guided by the department’s values, and shaped by a community that consistently shows up for its firefighters. We are intentional about building systems rather than one-time responses, and about moving at a pace that prioritizes integrity and longevity over visibility.
Brand-wise, what we’re most proud of is partnership. We are committed to doing this work quietly, responsibly, and in close partnership with the department and the community. Our focus is not on recognition, but on making sure support is available, accessible, and reliable when it’s needed.
What we want readers to know is that the Round Rock Fire Foundation is still growing, but it is grounded. It exists to care for the people who serve this city and their families, to strengthen the community that stands behind them, and to ensure that care does not depend on circumstance or timing.
We’d love to hear about how you think about risk taking?
Creating the Round Rock Fire Foundation involved measured risk, not dramatic leaps. We were stepping into public leadership, sharing a deeply personal story, and committing to build something that would carry long-term responsibility. That required being willing to be visible, to be accountable, and to make decisions that affect other people’s trust.
The biggest risk was choosing to build structure instead of reacting emotionally. It would have been easier to respond in the moment, or to move quickly without formal systems in place. We chose a slower path, knowing that governance, boundaries, and sustainability matter if you want people to rely on what you’re building.
I also think risk looks different in the fire service. Firefighters manage risk every day by training, preparing, and making decisions grounded in experience. That perspective shaped how we approached the foundation. We ask: what protects people long-term? What reduces unintended consequences? What allows us to show up consistently, even when circumstances change?
My approach to risk is deliberate. I’m comfortable moving forward when the purpose is clear, the values are aligned, and the responsibility is understood. That’s how we’ve approached the foundation, and it’s how we intend to continue.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.roundrockfirefoundation.org
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/roundrockfirefoundation
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/roundrockfirefoundation
