Previously operating with two older model trucks, Avery Volunteer Fire department was
recently able to add a new brush truck to its fleet with help from the Texas A&M Forest Service’s Rural VFD
Assistance Program.
“The trucks they had were getting aged and had a lot of wear and tear,” TFS Regional Fire Coordinator
Nathan Carroll said. “Having this new truck will make it a lot easier for them to respond faster and be more
effective in serving their community.”
The new truck features a compressed air foam (CAF) system that the department did not have access to in
the past.
“We really didn’t have a good foam system on any of our older trucks, and foam allows us to do quite a bit
more for fire suppression,” Avery VFD Fire Chief Gary Tucek said.
TFS passes approximately $12.8 million along to volunteer fire departments across the state every year,
helping them purchase equipment to better protect lives and property.
“This program was a godsend to us,” Tucek said. “There is no way we could afford to purchase this kind of
equipment on the budget we have.”