SABINAL, Texas — With the help of a $17,700 grant from Texas A&M Forest Service, Sabinal Volunteer
The Fire Department purchased a new slip-on unit for one of their fire trucks.
The new unit gives the VFD extra water storage capacity when fighting fires. It is a self-contained unit that
consists of a water storage tank, a pump, and a hose reel and control panel.
“[The unit] will assist the volunteers by giving them a dependable means to deliver water efficiently in their
region,” TFS Regional Fire Coordinator Garry Barney said. “It will be a great asset to them in the future.”
TFS passes approximately $12.8 million along to volunteer fire departments across the state every year,
helping them purchase equipment to better protect life and property.
With the addition of this new equipment, Sabinal VFD will be able to make their water supply go further
with the use of foam, a capability that until now, the department has not had access to. It will also reduce
the weight of the apparatus.
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Without grant options such as these, many VFDs across Texas would not have the funds to attain
modern fire equipment.
“The grant is essential to the volunteer fire service in the state of Texas,” Assistant Fire Chief Justin
Schmidt said. “Most of our funds come from fundraisers, so we’re just very thankful that TFS provides a
program like this. It’s helped us out immensely.”
To learn more about this program, visit http://texasfd.com.