Burkeville Volunteer Fire Department recently received a $100,000 grant
for a small brush truck through Texas A&M Forest Service’s Rural VFD Assistance Program.
“We needed a new brush truck worse than anything in the world,” Fire Chief Charles Duckworth
said. “We respond to more than 40 wildfires a year, and our 13-year-old small brush truck
wasn’t enough to keep with the amount of calls we were getting.”
The new small brush truck, acting as an addition to the fleet rather than a replacement vehicle,
is equipped with a 500-gallon tank that holds 250 more gallons than the old truck.
“The new truck’s carrying capacity is an asset to our department,” Duckworth said. “We serve
2,100 people over 270 square miles and needed a truck that could provide enough water to
suppress the fires we respond to.”
According to Duckworth, the new small brush truck is planned to be the first to every scene.
“It’s capable of structure fires and high water rescue,” Duckworth said. “The truck’s ability to
respond to any kind of emergency makes it invaluable to us.”
In Texas, more than 85 percent of fire departments are entirely or primarily run through the
goodwill of volunteers. TFS grants upwards of $12.8 million to volunteer fire departments
spanning the state each year, assisting them in the securing of new and up-to-date equipment
to enhance their capability to protect lives and property.
“TFS’s Rural VFD Assistance Program is number one in my book,” Duckworth said. “We apply as
often as possible and are grateful for the assistance TFS gives VFDs.”
To learn more about this program visit texasfd.com.