Hudspeth County Emergency Service District was awarded a grant from Texas A&M Forest Service’s Rural Volunteer Fire Department Assistance Program allowing the district to purchase new rescue equipment, including a Jaws of Life, spreader and cutter.
“We applied for this grant because we were having a lot of problems with our hydraulic pump on our other unit,” Hudspeth County ESD #1 Chief Manuel Galindo, Jr said. “We watched other volunteers operate a power pack unit and knew our department and community would benefit from having the [new equipment].”
The equipment does not require the motor, hydraulic pump and hoses that the old equipment did. This allows for faster response from the volunteers.
“When we arrive on an accident scene we are fighting for time to complete the rescue. We would unload the motor, hydraulic pump and hoses, set it all up, choke the motor and hope it started,” Galindo said “This new unit allows us to be off the truck and start working right away.”
Over 85-percent of fire departments in the state of Texas are either completely or mostly operated by volunteers. Texas A&M Forest Service passes approximately $24.3 million in assistance along to volunteer fire departments across the state each year.
“We are really happy with the Jaws of Life and appreciate the grants that TFS make available to the volunteer fire departments,” Galindo said.
Texas A&M Forest Service is committed to protecting lives and property through the Rural Volunteer Fire Department Assistance Program, 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.
For more information on programs offered by Texas A&M Forest Service, please visit http://texasfd.com.