LAKEVIEW, Texas – Excess military vehicles fill the role of firefighting apparatus for many Texas emergency
service providers. Lakeview Volunteer Fire Department received one of these trucks and converted the excess
Stewart Stevenson into a firefighting machine. The conversion included the addition of a slip-on unit.
“Lakeview VFD received an excess military truck through the Department of Defense Firefighter Property
Program and a slip-on unit grant through Rural Volunteer Fire Department Assistance Program, both
administered by Texas A&M Forest Service,” said Texas A&M Forest Service Regional Fire Coordinator
Matthew Schlaefer. “Having extra water will be a big asset to the department when responding to wildland
fires.”
One of the stipulations for receiving the truck is to paint it a nonmilitary color.
“Our department members painted the duce-and-a-half truck, and a third party installed the slip-on unit with a
500-gallon water tank and a 20-gallon foam tank,” said Lakeview VFD Fire Chief Bob Wilkins. “This truck
will not be used in mutual response. It will be reserved to respond locally when our other trucks are out on other
calls.”
The converted truck will carry a full complement of wildland tools but will also be a dual-purpose apparatus.
“We will not only use the truck for grass fires but also as a rescue vehicle when there is snow or high-standing
water,” said Wilkins.
The department completed special training on the operation of the military truck and the new slip-on unit.
Texas A&M Forest Service is committed to protecting lives and property through various fire department
assistance programs. The Department of Defense Firefighter Property Program was launched in Texas in 2005
as a program to help increase the capacity of Texas volunteer fire departments. In 2018, FEMA indicated that
Texas is one of the top-rated states where 84 percent of the fire service is provided by volunteer fire
departments. The Texas A&M Forest Service excess military equipment program is sponsored by the USDA
Forest Service also oversees the national program. The Rural Volunteer Fire Department Assistance
Program funded by the Texas State Legislature currently provides 100 percent funding up to $20,000 for the
acquisition of slip-on units that are to be installed onto excess military vehicles, helping in their conversion into
firefighting apparatus.
For more information on programs offered by Texas A&M Forest Service, please visit http://texasfd.com.