August 8, 2016 — PETROLIA, Texas — Petrolia Volunteer Fire Department recently added a new slip-on unit to one of their existing wildland fire-fighting trucks. Acquisition of the unit was made possible
through a $20,000 Rural Volunteer Fire Department Assistance grant administered by Texas A&M
Forest Service.
A slip-on unit is designed to enhance a fire department’s firefighting capabilities. The apparatus is built
for the rigors of the fire service and is easily mounted in the back of a pick-up truck or a custom-built bed
and is especially effective in handling wildland fires, car fires, and others.
“This new slip-on unit is replacing a 1,000-gallon metal tank that was leaking,” Petrolia VFD Assistant Chief Tony
Fox said. “This new unit is also a 1,000-gallon, but it is a poly-tank, so it is lighter and will require less
maintenance than the metal tank.”
The slip-on unit also has a Compressed Air Foam System with a 20-gallon tank.
“We received a five-ton truck through Texas A&M Forest Service’s Federal Firefighter Property Program
a couple of years ago, and we are mounting the new slip-on unit on that truck,” explained Fox.
“We are a rural county and we cover 77 square miles as well as provide mutual aid for half of the
county,” Fox said. “The terrain in the north part of our area has a lot of mesquite and brush. This five-ton
with the slip-on will be very beneficial in getting us into those types of areas.”
Chief Fox said the department intends to use the unit primarily for wildland-type fires, such as a recent
50-acre hayfield fire.
“This truck helps us to better protect our community by getting a larger water supply out to where the
fires are,” Fox 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.