April 18, 2016 — PALESTINE, Texas — Battle worn and coated with desert sand, the newest member of the
Palestine Southside Volunteer Fire Department was greeted with cheers when it rolled into the department last
June.
The 1994 Stewart and Stevenson M1078 two-and-a-half ton military cargo truck was awarded to the Palestine
Southside VFD through the Department of Defense Firefighter Property Program, which is administered by
Texas A&M Forest Service.
“When we applied for a vehicle we expected an old duce and a half and we got this [newer] style. We were very
happy!” said Chief Kevin Warren of the Palestine Southside VFD.
Recipients of this program are required to convert the vehicle into a service-ready unit within 180 days of
acquisition.
“We painted the truck ourselves and then put an 1100-gallon tank and pump on it,” Chief Warren said. “The
the tank fit perfectly in the front of the bed so we had plenty of room for the hose reel, whip line and 20-gallon
foam tank with a high-pressure foam system.” The foam system was donated through Texas A&M Forest
Service’s Helping Hands Program.
The old combat vehicle is now hardly recognizable as it fulfills its new duties as the latest brush truck and high
water rescue vehicle in the Palestine area.
Chief Warren said, “We only invested about $1,500 to get it the way we wanted it. We have had it in two
parades [and] are so proud of it!”
All that Palestine Southside VFD needs is more volunteers to drive the truck. “We have an open enrollment for
volunteers,” Chief Warren said. “It’s getting kind of hard to find people who want to volunteer.”
Since its initiation in 2005, the DoD Firefighter Property Program has released over 400 retired military trucks
to volunteer fire departments across Texas to better help them protect lives and property.
To learn more about this program, Helping Hands and other fire department assistance programs offered by
Texas A&M Forest Service, visit http://texasfd.com.