PERRIN, Texas — The Perrin VFD received a brush truck made possible with a $200,000 cost share
grant through the Texas A&M Forest Service Rural Volunteer Fire Department Assistance Program.
The flat farmland in Jack County has a great potential for wildland fires this time of year. The 2018
large brush truck with its 1,000-gallon water tank and Compressed Air Foam System (CAFS) will be
used when responding to those types of fires as well as structure and vehicle fires.
“The community doesn’t have fire hydrants, so having a large volume of water readily available is a
benefit when trying to knock a fire down quickly,” said Perrin VFD Fire Chief Cal Francis. “The
addition of the foam system will help smother the fir,e and the bumper nozzles will assist in eliminating
spot fires in the front of the truck.”
A CAFS system is used in firefighting to deliver fire retardant foam for the purpose of extinguishing a
fire or protecting unburned areas. The foam system can aid in quickly extinguishing a fire which helps
limit the damage that fires can inflict and helps to increase the effectiveness of the water.
According to Francis the truck also has the capability to draft water from a pond or stream if necessary.
Perrin Volunteer Fire Department has been providing fire protection in their area since 1940. The 33
committed volunteers help protect their community of 1,500 as well as mutual aid for the surrounding
area.
Texas A&M Forest Service is committed to protecting lives and property through the Rural Volunteer
Fire Department Assistance Program, a cost-share program funded by Texas State Legislature and
administered by Texas A&M Forest Service. This program provides 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, please visit http://texasfd.com.