PARADISE, Texas — A $17,700 grant from Texas A&M Forest Service enabled the Cottondale
Volunteer Fire Department to get a new skid unit for one of their trucks.
With the addition of the new slip-on unit, the department was able to replace a 1996 model truck
that broke down on a fire a little over a year ago, according to CVFD Secretary Anna Lee Clark.
“We didn’t have money to replace the truck when it broke down, so we relied on the grant program
from TFS,” Clark said. “I really don’t know what we would have done if we didn’t have that option.”
CVFD has utilized the grant program before to attain personal protective equipment to better
protect its firefighters.
The department serves about 4,000-5,000 people, along with providing mutual aid to sister fire
districts. The new slip-on unit will help them more efficiently serve both areas.
“At the time we only had two brush trucks,” Clark said. “It wasn’t enough to help our neighboring
districts while still covering our area.”
TFS passes approximately $12.8 million along to volunteer fire departments across the state every
year, helping them purchase equipment to better protect lives and property.,
“This will be a great asset to them,” TFS Resource Specialist Keith Vaughan said. “Any time you can
get an up-to-date piece of equipment to better serve the community; it is a great thing.”
To learn more about this program, visit http://texasfd.com.