HENDERSON, Texas — The Carlisle Volunteer Fire Department received a surplus military truck
through the Department of Defense Firefighter Property Program. This is one of the hundreds of trucks
that have been transferred at no cost to Texas volunteer fire departments. The department also received a
$20,000 grant for a slip-on unit through the Rural Volunteer Fire Department Assistance Program. Both
programs are administered by the Texas A&M Forest Service.
The truck was painted a nonmilitary color and underwent extensive modifications, including the addition
of a 600-gallon water tank.
The unit will be used during wildland fires and high-water rescues and evacuations.
This is the first surplus vehicle the department has received. “The off-road capabilities of the Stewart
and Stevenson are unmatched by any of the regular trucks in our fleet,” said Chris Denison, Carlisle VFD
Chief. “The sandy East Texas soil limits accessibility to fires in our area. This vehicle will allow us to
get to places we were not able to before.”
The department would like to thank the Rusk County Emergency Services District 1 Board for its
assistance with the department’s portion of the cost share. Denison would also like to thank Texas A&M
Forest Service for the lengths that they go to make the Firefighter Property Program and Rural Volunteer
Fire Department Assistance Program is what it is for all of Texas’ volunteer fire departments.
The department is recruiting new members. To learn more, interested parties are invited to attend the
department’s regularly scheduled meetings at the fire station on the first and third Mondays of each
month at 6 p.m.
Texas A&M Forest Service is committed to protecting lives and property through various fire
department assistance programs and has released hundreds of retired military trucks to Volunteer Fire
Departments across the state. The agency transports the vehicle from a military installation, performs
necessary repairs, and delivers it to the volunteer fire department at no cost to them. The Rural Volunteer
Fire Department Assistance Program is funded by the Texas Legislature and provides cost-share funding
to rural volunteer fire departments for the acquisition of firefighting vehicles, fire and rescue equipment,
protective clothing, dry hydrants, computer systems, and firefighter training.
For more information on programs offered by Texas A&M Forest Service, visit http://texasfd.com.