July 1, 2016 — NEWCASTLE, Texas — Newcastle Volunteer Fire Department recently added a new brush
truck to its fleet thanks to a $100,000 grant through Texas A&M Forest Service.
The truck, a Dodge Ram 5500, is a replacement for a smaller, two-wheel drive vehicle the department had
equipped with a homemade tank and foam unit that was not always optimal.
“This new four-wheel drive brush truck will be able to travel through difficult terrain of rocks, rough landscape,
mesquite and cacti,” Newcastle VFD Chief Gary Bohannan said.
The truck is equipped with a 400-gallon water tank, 10-gallon foam tank, and pump.
“We have had a lot of rai,n and everything is nice and green, but if we have many dry northers, the grass will
start drying u,p and that means fuel for fires,” Bohannan said. “Our area is farming, ranching, and oil fields, so
adding this small brush truck to our fleet helps us to be better prepared in the event of a wildfire.”
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.