March 31, 2016 — NEW SUMMERFIELD, Texas — New Summerfield Volunteer Fire
The department has enhanced its capabilities with the help of an $18,000 grant administered by
Texas A&M Forest Service.
The grant, part of Texas A&M Forest Service’s Rural Volunteer Fire Department Assistance
The program went toward purchasing a new slip-on unit for one of the department’s existing trucks.
A slip-on unit is designed to enhance any fire department’s firefighting capabilities. The
apparatus is built for the demands of the fire service and is easily mounted in the back of a pick
up or a custom-built truck and is especially effective in handling wildland fires.
“This new slip-on unit is a first for our department,” Fire Chief Scott Bragg said. “The equipment
that we previously had was a water tank that we built onto a one-ton truck, and we had to
manually pour the foam into the tank when we needed it.”
The updated equipment will inject the foam at the discharge side of the pump, eliminating the
need for manual efforts.
When used in fire suppression the foam’s role is to cool the fire and coat the fuel, preventing it,
contact with oxygen, helping to prevent the fire from spreading.
Now, with the new slip-on unit, valuable time is saved when responding to a fire.
Chief Bragg explained, “This unit has a 300-gallon water tank, a 10-gallon foam tank, and is
, ready to go at a minute’s notice.”
The Rural Volunteer Fire Department Assistance Program provides funding to rural VFDs for
the acquisition of firefighting vehicles, fire and rescue equipment, protective clothing, dryminute’s
hydrants, computer systems, and firefighter training. It is a cost-share program funded by the
Texas State Legislature.
To learn more about this program, visit http://texasfd.com.