RAYMONDVILLE, Texas –– Raymondville Fire Department recently completed the conversion of a military
vehicle and received its title through Texas A&M Forest Service as part of the DoD Firefighter Property
Program.
“This military vehicle is a vital piece of equipment to our community,” Fire Chief Oscar Gutierrez said.
“Converted into a tanker truck, it can hold 6,000 gallons of water.”
Most of the department’s 780 square mile service area is rural and lacks adequate water supply.
“This truck enhances Raymondville FD’s capability to fight wildfires and structure fires. Arriving on the scene of
a fire with a substantial amount of water increases their initial attack capacity,” Texas A&M Forest Service
Regional Fire Coordinator Travis Pecht said.
Before putting the tanker into service however, alterations were made to the military vehicle to make it suitable
for firefighting.
“Originally used to transport jet fuel, the vehicle was built to be water-tight,” said Gutierrez. “We removed the
filters in the truck to allow it to be utilized for water transportation.”
Recipients of this excess property are required to convert the vehicle into a service-ready unit within 180 days
of acquisition.
“Though the conversion presented a few challenges, we were able to have a tanker that we wouldn’t have
been able to otherwise afford,” Gutierrez said.
The DoD Firefighter Property Program, managed nationwide by the U.S.D.A. Forest Service, provides excess
military equipment to fire departments and emergency service providers. Launched in Texas in 2005, this
program has released over 350 retired military trucks to VFDs across the state to help them better protect lives
and property.
“This program is a great asset,” Gutierrez said. “We are already considering Texas A&M Forest Service’s
programs for additional aid.”
To learn more about this program, visit http://texasfd.com.