Bloomburg Volunteer Fire Department accepted an $18,500 cost share grant from the
Rural Volunteer Fire Department Assistance Program administered by Texas A&M Forest Service. The grant
helped to purchase rescue tools, traffic cones and a thermal imaging camera.
“Our department has been serving the Bloomburg community since 1974 and we never had our own extrication
tools,” said Bloomburg VFD Fire Chief Dakota Huddleston. “In our service area we respond to accidents on
heavily driven Farm-to-Market roads and State Highway 77 and we always had to depend on mutual aid from
other departments when it came to extrication after a vehicle accident. We will now have immediate access to
those tools and will also be able to provide back-up to other departments.”
The department replaced an older out-of-date thermal imaging camera with a new one that will be useful in
finding hot spots or downed individuals in a structure fire.
“Bloomburg and the surrounding communities can look forward to the increased capabilities of their volunteer
fire department with the addition of the new equipment. These tools will enhance the fire department’s
efficiency and ability to provide top notch service to those in need,” said Josh Bardwell Texas A&M Forest
Service Regional Fire Coordinator.
The volunteer fire department has 15 members that serves a 60-square-mile service area.
“We appreciate receiving the grant for the equipment that will help to make our job as volunteer fire fighters
more successful and safer,” said Huddleston. “Volunteer fire departments across Texas would have far less
equipment to support their communities without the grant programs through Texas A&M Forest Service.
For more information on programs offered by Texas A&M Forest Service, please visit http://texasfd.com .