HUNTSVILLE, Texas –- Crabbs Prairie Volunteer Fire Department welcomes a new 2021 Ford F550 brush truck
thanks to a $118,000 cost share grant through the Rural Volunteer Fire Department Assistance Program. The
truck will be used to fight grass and wildland fires, manage traffic control after a vehicle accident, and carry
medical equipment.
“The addition of this new brush truck with its large water tank, foam capability, and remote-controlled pump and
nozzle will be a great benefit to our growing community and surrounding area,” said Crabbs Prairie Fire Chief
Justin Baack. “Like so many volunteer fire departments, manpower can be an issue at times, so having remote
firefighting capability that allows one firefighter to respond and fight a fire from inside the truck cab is of great
value.”
The brush truck has already been used to respond to several fires.
“Our area seems to be one of the counties that sometimes has large fires, but we have been fortunate so far this
year, and there haven’t been any,” said Baack. “Recently, we have had fires caused by human activity and spread
by high winds that fan the flames. The fires have included everything from unattended fires in our response area
to grass fires along Interstate 45.”
Having extra water with the addition of foam at the onset of a fire will give the department an advantage in
controlling the fire.
“This truck will be a great help in the large wildland-urban interface this department serves,” said Texas A&M
Forest Service Regional Fire Coordinator Nicole Lang. “It carries 500 gallons of water and also has foam that
works as a surfactant and breaks the surface tension on the fuel surface, which allows water to last longer.”
Crabbs Prairie Volunteer Fire Department was established in 1985 and serves a 281-square-mile protection area.
The department currently has open enrollment for new volunteers. To apply, please visit their Facebook page at
https://www.facebook.com/cpvfdtx15/.
Texas A&M Forest Service is committed to protecting lives and property through the Rural Volunteer Fire
Department Assistance Program, a cost-share program funded by Texas State Legislature and administered by
Texas A&M Forest Service. This program provides funding to rural Volunteer Fire Departments for the
acquisition of firefighting vehicles, fire and rescue equipment, protective clothing, dry-hydrants, computer
systems and firefighter training.
For more information on programs offered by Texas A&M Forest Service, please visit http://texasfd.com.