JONESBORO, Texas –– Jonesboro Fire Department recently received an $18,000 slip-on unit grant through
Texas A&M Forest Service’s Rural VFD Assistance Program.
“We applied for this grant to enable us to add another truck with firefighting capabilities,” Fire Chief Bobby
Buster said.
Once paired with a truck, the slip-on unit will replace a 1970 Chevrolet pickup truck that had been serving as a
makeshift fire truck.
“With the slip-on unit, the added vehicle’s capability to fight brush fires and grass fires as well as service
wrecks and blocked roads will serve as an asset,” Buster said.
Responding to calls from a population of 1,200 people, the department puts value in the new slip-on unit’s
ability to carry up to 500 gallons of water.
“Our old trucks could carry similar amounts of water, but the new unit’s technology surpasses what we’ve had,”
Buster said. “It tells you how much water you have and allows you to adjust the gallons it pumps per minute.”
Over 85 percent of fire departments in Texas are either completely or mostly operated by volunteers. TFS passes
approximately $12.8 million along to volunteer fire departments across the state each year, helping them purchase
equipment to better protect lives and property.
“This program is great,” Buster said. “It helps small departments like ours who couldn’t afford up-to-date
equipment without financial support.”
To learn more about this program, visit http://texasfd.com.