Dove Creek Volunteer Fire Department recently received a $100,000 grant to go
toward the purchase of a small brush truck through Texas A&M Forest Service’s Rural VFD Assistance
Program.
“To replace a 1972 Ford F700 that was originally used as a Schwan’s delivery truck,” Fire Chief Cue Roberts
said. “It was the only truck to run on propane for miles around.”
After having its engine replaced twice, the truck became unreliable.
“The new small brush truck brings the reliability that our department needed,” Roberts said. “Our first-out truck,
it has a nozzle in front with a joystick monitor that allows us to initiate fire attacks safely.”
The truck serves as the department’s first-out truck and is equipped with a bumped nozzle, 400-gallon tank
and foam capabilities.
According to Roberts, the truck has allowed the department to reduce its response time to emergencies.
“The truck’s compact size makes it swift and easy to maneuver,” Roberts said. “It’s perfect for fires in our 65
square miles of largely wildland area.”
Over 85 percent of fire departments in Texas are either completely or mostly operated by volunteers. TFS
passes approximately $12.8 million along to volunteer fire departments across the state each year, helping
them purchase equipment to better protect lives and property.
“Being a department that serves about 1,700 people, this program is great,” Roberts said. “We don’t have
much income, so it’s a great way for us to keep our trucks up to date and ready to respond to emergencies.”
To learn more about this program visit texasfd.com.