September 13, 2016 — ANNA, Texas — Texas A&M Forest Service recently awarded Westminster Volunteer
Fire Department with a $19,038 grant to purchase a new slip-on unit through the Rural Volunteer Fire
Department Assistance Grant Program.
A slip-on unit is designed to become a fast initial-attack firefighting unit; durable, flexible, and highly mobile. It
is used in wildland firefighting as well as structure and auto fires and is a complete self-contained fire-fighting
apparatus designed for pick-up or custom-built vehicle platforms.
“This new slip-on unit replaces an older slip-on that we had for many years,” explained Westminster VFD
Assistant Chief Rod Adams. “The old unit was just bare bones with one hose output. The new one has multiple
hose lines of different sizes and is capable of drafting and filling up other vehicles such as a tender or engine.”
The slip-on unit has a 300-gallon water tank and a 10-gallon foam tank. It will be primarily used for wildland
firefighting, according to Adams, and also as a backup for structure and vehicle firefighting.
The new slip-on unit is now in service and has responded to a handful of calls already, including mutual aid
response.
Westminster VFD serves approximately 4,000 people in 40 square miles of Collin County.
Texas A&M Forest Service is committed to protecting lives and property through the Rural Volunteer Fire
Department Assistance Program is 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 the Rural Volunteer Fire Department Assistance Program and other programs offered by
Texas A&M Forest Service, please visit http://texasfd.com.