Joy Volunteer Fire Department received a retired military vehicle to add to their fleet through Texas A&M Forest Service as part of the DoD Firefighter Property Program, a program managed nationwide by the U.S. Forest Service.
“We service 240 square miles of heavy brush land and close to 500 people,” Fire Chief Clay Skelton said.
According to Skelton, the new vehicle allows the department the ability to carry 1,200 gallons of water, 700 more gallons than their previous vehicle.
“This truck is bigger, allowing us the capability to reach places that our smaller trucks can’t go,” Skelton said.
Recipients of this excess property are required to convert the vehicle into a service-ready unit within 180 days of acquisition. “We had to rebuild the bed to accommodate a skid unit and pump, repaint the vehicle, add handlebars, and load it with firefighting equipment,” Skelton said.
“What we don’t receive from the county comes out of pocket,” Skelton said. “Assistance from programs like this one are imperative to us.”
The DoD Firefighter Property Program, a program managed nationwide by the USDA Forest Service, provides excess military equipment to fire departments and emergency service providers. Launched in Texas in 2005, this program has released over 300 retired military trucks to VFDs across the state to help them better protect lives and property.
“TFS Programs like this one are the greatest thing in the world because without them VFDs would not have the vehicles they needed to exist,” Skelton said.
To learn more about this program, visit http://texasfd.com.