October 4, 2016 — LUFKIN, Texas — Rivercrest Redland Volunteer Fire Department was recently awarded
a military excess vehicle from the Department of Defense Firefighter Property Program administered by Texas
A&M Forest Service.
Recipients of this program are required to convert the vehicle into a service-ready unit within 180 days of
acquisition.
“One stipulation was to paint the truck and make it ready to fill the role of a fire truck,” said Rivercrest Redland
VFD President E.R. Brooks. “We also added a radio, lights on the front and back for safety, three red lines, and
emergency equipment.”
In addition to receiving the truck, Rivercrest Redland VFD was also awarded a $19,000 grant through Texas
A&M Forest Service to help purchase a slip-on unit for the truck.
A slip-on unit is designed to become a fast, initial-attack firefighting unit; durable, flexible and highly mobile. It
is used in wildland firefighting as well as structure and auto fires and is a complete, self-contained firefighting
apparatus designed for a pickup or custom-built vehicle platform.
“This is the very first slip-on unit that our department has ever owned. It will be a great benefit to our VFD and
community because the water tank holds 500 gallons, and the unit also has foam capabilities,” said Brooks.
Explaining the truck’s foam capabilities, Brooks said, “Straight water evaporates in just a short time, but the
foam helps by conserving water. It also smothers the fire by depriving it of oxygen and coats the fuel to keep it
from rekindling.”
The transformed truck will have a large impact on the department’s capabilities as both a wildland and structure
fire response vehicle.
The truck also brings the capability to perform high-water rescues.
Texas A&M Forest Service is committed to protecting lives and property through various fire department
assistance programs. For more information on programs offered by Texas A&M Forest Service, please visit
http://texasfd.com.