BROOKSTON, Texas –- A new fire truck for the Brookston Volunteer Fire Department
helps increase the department’s emergency response capabilities.
“We didn’t have our own water source and the nearest hydrant is several miles away.
Now we have our own water and don’t have to wait for another fire department to come
and provide assistance,” said Robert Patterson, Brookston VFD firefighter.
Brookston VFD was able to purchase the new truck with the help of a $154,000 grant
from Texas A&M Forest Service, Rural Volunteer Fire Department Assistance Program.
The engine is equipped with front and size nozzles to fight grass fires and will have the
capabilities to hold 3,500 gallons of water and enable Brookston VFD to start putting out
house fires until neighboring engines arrive.
“This grant has helped us afford something we could never get by ourselves, and since
we cover the largest area in Lamar County this new tanker is really what we need to
fight fires more effectively,” said Patterson.
These grants are important because VFDs respond to 90 percent of wildfires in Texas.
The departments are staffed primarily with volunteers who operate with little to no
money.
The Brookston VFD award is among the $12.8 million passed through TFS to Texas
volunteer fire departments each year.
To learn more about this program, visit http://texasfd.com.