BYERS, Texas –– Now owners of a recently converted military truck, Byers Volunteer Fire Department can
more efficiently protect its rural service area.
The VFD received this retired military truck to convert into a firefighting engine through the DoD Firefighter
Property Program, established and managed nationally by the USDA Forest Service and implemented locally
by Texas A&M Forest Service.
“We cover a lot of rural area with a lot of grass fires,” Fire Chief Will Harding said. “We had a smaller, older truck
that needed to be updated. This new FFP truck has allowed us to replace that truck.”
Recipients of this excess property are required to convert the vehicle into a service-ready unit within 180 days of
acquisition.
“We did all of the paint, metal fabrication, and lettering ourselves,” Harding said. “We added a grill guard, skid
plate, handrails for safety, a pump, hoses, and lights. We also added a skid unit with foam capabilities that helps
when fighting the fire.”
The DoD Firefighter Property Program provides excess military equipment to fire departments and emergency
service providers across the U.S. Launched in Texas in 2005, this program has released over 300 retired military
trucks to VFDs across the state.
“This truck will help to increase our capacity to fight the grass fires in our rural area,” Harding said. “A small
community like ours would never be able to buy a truck like this on our own. TFS offers great programs for VFDs
across Texas.”
To learn more about this program, visit http://texasfd.com.