December 14, 2016 — HASLET, Texas — Texas A&M Forest Service recently awarded Haslet Volunteer
Fire Department with a $36,000 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 and highly mobile. It is used
in wildland, firefighting, as well as structure and auto fires, and the unit is a complete self-contained firefighting
apparatus designed to sit on a pickup truck or custom-built vehicle platform.
“This slip-on unit is replacing an older unit that we had on a 1997 brush truck. We refurbished the truck and
thanks to the grant from Texas A&M Forest Service, installed this new slip-on unit with a compressed air foam
system,” said Haslet VFD Chief Kirt Mays.
“The compressed air foam system is going to be very beneficial to our department when fighting wildland fires.
The tank only holds 300 gallons of water, but the foam will help to smother the fire, which will cause us to need
less water. It helps the water to go further,” said Mays.
Haslet VFD’s 30 volunteers serve a population of 5,000 over 25 square miles of Tarrant 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.