MASON, Texas –- Loyal Valley Volunteer Fire Department accepted a $15,600 grant to help purchase a slip-on
unit that was installed onto a 4-wheel-drive truck chassis. The transformation will give the department a small
brush truck for quick, safe response to wildland and structure fires and EMS calls. The cost-share grant was
made possible through the HB2604 Rural Volunteer Fire Department Assistance Program administered by
Texas A&M Forest Service.
“We configured this slip-on unit to include a 300-gallon water tank, 10-gallon foam cell, and different types of
hose useful to fight wildland, structure, and vehicle fires and also included a considerable amount of truck
storage for personal protective equipment and rescue equipment,” said Loyal Valley VFD Fire Chief John
Byerley. “Our service area includes a section of U.S. Highway 87 where we respond to a lot of high-speed car
accidents.”
According to Byerley, the department is pleased to add this truck and slip-on unit to their fleet since the closest
mutual aid is twenty miles away.
“We appreciate the support of our community and Texas A&M Forest Service,” said Byerely. “It is encouraging
to know that our community stands behind us and that the grant programs are available for volunteer fire
departments. Without the grants, some volunteer fire departments would be dead in the water.”
Loyal Valley Volunteer Fire Department has been serving their area since 2011 and has twelve volunteers plus
auxiliary members.
For more information on programs offered by Texas A&M Forest Service, please visit http://texasfd.com.