Flowers, candles, an American flag and a purple cap embroidered with the letters “M-F” rest on a fire truck parked outside the Marble Falls Volunteer Fire Department. The flag is at half-staff, and a bottle of Mountain Dew sits at the foot of a firefighter statue.
Firefighters said the trucks were always stocked with the soda — Chief Michael Phillips' favorite.
The chief went missing July 5, when floodwaters tore through Burnet County. The search for him continues more than a week after his disappearance.
“He was a leader, but he was also a best friend,” Capt. Cole Davis said. “He would do anything for anyone. He was always the first one in and the last one out.”
Davis said the department got a call in the early morning hours as the floodwaters rose. Two people were trapped in water near Cow Creek, east of Marble Falls.
Phillips lived nearby and had the fire department’s command vehicle at home.
“ He just happened to be the first one on scene,” Davis said. “With the amount of rain we had that night, he wasn't aware of how much water was there when he came over the hill.”
When other crew members arrived, they couldn’t find Phillips. Later that day, Davis said, his vehicle was spotted by a helicopter down the creek. It was destroyed by the rushing water.
“If his vehicle looks like it does, the way we found it, I’m afraid Michael is not gonna be with us anymore,” said Joe Don Dockery, a Burnet County commissioner who has worked with Phillips for nearly two decades.
Those who know Phillips said he’s engaging, endlessly giving and a mentor to many young firefighters. The Marble Falls Volunteer Fire Department feels like a family to many.
“I never pictured a department without him,” said Davis, who has worked with Phillips for about 16 years. “It’s like having a family member not there.”
The department includes both paid and volunteer staff, so the lines between the professional and the personal get blurred. Davis said the firefighters got close by working late nights together and springing into action when they received a call.
“ It’s not like you go in and you only see people on shifts,” he said. “You drop what you’re doing. You may be out to dinner with your family, but you drop what you’re doing.”
Phillips worked full time for the Marble Falls Independent School District and was involved in campus activities across the district.
“With quiet strength and integrity, he oversaw daily facility operations and led major Bond projects that shaped the future of our schools,” Marble Falls ISD wrote in a Facebook post. “Many of the buildings and learning spaces our students benefit from today were built or renovated under his leadership, reflecting his deep pride and dedication to providing safe, well-maintained settings for our students and staff.”
Dockery said the school district allowed Phillips to respond to calls when they came up.
“He might be at the high school doing something and then suddenly jump in his truck and take off,” he said. “He knew no boundaries as far as precincts or county lines; he would go where he’s needed.”
That’s what Phillips always did, up until the moment he went missing.
“He didn’t do everything he did just because he was a fire chief; he did it because he loves his community,” Dockery said. “Whatever kind of team it is you’re building, I’ll get him as my first choice.”
The Burnet County Sheriff’s Office said the search for Phillips has taken every resource it has, and teams have been working themselves to exhaustion to try and find him.
Last week, about 200 people searched on foot for Phillips, according to the sheriff's office. The department is using drone technology and will send people out on the ground again later this week.
Members of the fire department said they don’t think they’ll find him alive, but that finding his body would bring closure to his family and those who worked with him.
“I guess all we need is thoughts and prayers to just get through this,” Davis said. “The only thing that we really need, no one could ever do … that would be to have him.”
