May 3, 2016 — OAKWOOD, Texas — East Leon County Volunteer Fire Department recently received a
$20,000 grant to purchase a new slip-on unit through Texas A&M Forest Service and the Rural VFD Assistance
Program.
A slip-on unit is a durable apparatus designed to become a fast initial-attack firefighting unit. It is used in
wildland firefighting as well as structure and auto fires and is a complete self-contained firefighting system
designed for a pick-up truck or custom-built vehicle platforms.
“The new unit is dependable and will be a great new addition to our department,” East Leon County VFD Fire
Chief Nathan Smith said. “The positioning of the unit on the truck makes it more accessible and easier to use.
The hose reel and pump motor are situated so they can be accessed without having to get onto the truck.”
Already placed into service, the new unit has a 10-gallon foam tank and a 300-gallon water tank and has already
proved useful on some small grass fires.
“Since our community has a lot of ranching, we get a number of hay fires every year, depending on how dry the
weather has been,” Chief Smith said. “Nine times out of ten if there is a structure fire in the rural area, then there
is usually a grass fire too, so we will take this new unit on those calls as well.”
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 the Texas State Legislature and administered
by Texas A&M Forest Service. This program provides funding to rural VFDs for the acquisition of firefighting
vehicles, fire and rescue equipment, protective clothing, dry hydrants, computer systems, and firefighter
training.
To learn more about this program visit http://texasfd.com.