PADUCAH, Texas –– An $18,000 grant from Texas A&M Forest Service helped Paducah
Volunteer Fire Department purchased a much-needed upgrade in equipment.
The cost share grant went toward purchasing a new slip-on unit for the VFD that will replace
some older equipment.
“Our service area is very rural with a lot of grass and trees that fuel fires,” Fire Chief Larry Evans
said. “We also have several oil fields in those areas. We needed a slip-on unit with foam
capabilities to help us fight vehicle fires and oil field fires.”
The compressed air foam system that that unit comes equipped with will further the VFD’s
water supply and help extinguish the fire faster and easier, according to Evans.
“This upgraded skid unit will provide a larger water carrying capacity for a single department
that covers a whole county,” Regional Fire Coordinator Tyler Raynes said.
Over 85 percent of fire departments in the state of Texas are either completely or mostly operated
by volunteers. TFS passes approximately $12.8 million along to volunteer fire departments across
the state every year, helping them purchase equipment to better protect lives and property.
“A lot of small VFDs rely on TFS to help meet the needs of their departments since the budget is
limited,” Evans said.
To learn more about this program, visit http://texasfd.com.