HUMBLE, Texas — A $100,000 grant from Texas A&M Forest Service enabled Eastex Freeway Volunteer
Fire Department to purchase a wildland apparatus. The brush truck is a four-door vehicle built to carry
additional manpower and is equipped with a 300-gallon water tank, 10-gallon foam tank, and 240 gallons per
minute pump.
“The addition of this engine will help Eastex Freeway VFD have a greater resource to fight wildland fires,” said
TFS Regional Fire Coordinator, Jeremy Wagner.
The new vehicle will deliver maximum capability, giving the department better access to the difficult terrain in
their service area.
“We have several areas in our territory that are prone to flooding,” said Eastex Freeway Fire Chief Robert
Bryan Harris. “We will use this vehicle during high water events since it has a six-inch body lift for greater
ground clearance.”
Volunteer firefighters operate 85 percent of the fire departments in Texas. This year TFS will pass
approximately $24.3 million along to VFDs across the state. The grants aid them in purchasing equipment and
obtaining vital firefighter training, giving them greater capabilities to protect life and property in their
communities.
“The TFS grant program is a lifesaver for many of the smaller fire departments,” said Harris. “They offer
grants for much needed equipment, gear and training.”
To learn more about this program, visit http://texasfd.com.