Feb. 3, 2016 — SARATOGA, Texas Saratoga Volunteer Fire Department received a
$200,000 grant from Texas A&M Forest Service to purchase a new large brush truck.
Brush trucks are valuable to rural communities because they have the capability to operate in a
variety of topography.
“This new addition will give us greater water capacity and better assist our firefighters in getting
to wildland fires in rough terrain,” said Saratoga VFD Fire Chief Gary Flowers. “This unit will
also help with getting manpower to emergency scenes faster.”
Volunteer firefighters operate 85 percent of the fire departments in Texas. This year Texas A&M
Forest Service will pass approximately $24.3 million to VFDs across the state. The grants aid
them in purchasing equipment and obtaining vital firefighter training, giving them greater
capabilities to protect life and property in their communities.
To learn more about this program, visit http://texasfd.com.