March 31, 2016 – Clayton, Texas – Texas A&M Forest Service recently awarded the Clayton
Volunteer Fire Department a $17,800 grant to help pay for a brand new slip-on unit.
The slip-on unit is a cost-effective tool that is very versatile, compact, and self-contained. The
apparatus will fit onto most pickup trucks or flatbed trucks and can be used in a variety of
firefighting operations as an initial attack apparatus.
According to Fire Chief Billy Alexander, the ease of use was one of its big perks. “It is user-friendly,” he said. “The new slip-on has a 400-gallon water tank and a 5-gallon foam tank.”
Because of the flexibility, capacity, and convenience of this unit can mean the difference between
a quick knockdown and a major fire.
“This slip-on unit replaces an older model,” explained Texas A&M Forest Service’s Regional
Fire Coordinator Nathan Carroll. “Now the department will have the dependability that they need
to respond.”
Clayton VFD hasn’t wasted any time putting the new unit into service either.
“We have our share of grass fires,” Chief Alexander said. “We have already used the new unit in
response to several calls.”
More than 85 percent of fire departments in the state of Texas are either completely or mostly
operated by volunteers. Texas A&M Forest Service passes approximately $24.3 million in grants
along to volunteer fire departments across the state every year, helping them purchase equipment
to better protect lives and property.
To learn more about this program, visit http://texasfd.com.