STEPHENVILLE, Texas – Selden Volunteer Fire Department members turned a 2003 Stewart Stevenson truck
into a firefighting machine to help protect their community and surrounding area. The fruit of their labor
produced a brush truck with a slip-on unit that has a 2,000-gallon water tank and is capable of drafting from a
pond, creek, or pool. The truck was awarded through the Department of Defense Firefighter Property Program
and the slip-on unit was purchased with a grant through the Rural Volunteer Fire Department Assistance
Program, both administered by Texas A&M Forest Service.
“One of the stipulations for receiving this truck was to paint it a nonmilitary color, so our volunteers painted it
themselves and plumbed it, making it ready for response as a dual-purpose apparatus,” said Selden Volunteer
Fire Department Fire Chief Shad Parum. “The primary mission of the truck will be for wildland firefighting, but
it can function as a tanker since it holds a large quantity of water.”
The truck’s rugged all-wheel drive makes it perfect for the Erath County terrain.
“The area is pretty rocky and has a lot of cedar, so some of the areas are difficult to get to, but this truck will be
ideal for getting into the toughest areas,” said Paru.m “We don’t have much flooding here, but it could also be
used for high-water rescue if needed.”
Texas A&M Forest Service is committed to protecting lives and property through various fire department
assistance programs. The Department of Defense Firefighter Property Program launched in Texas in 2005, is
one such program and has released over 600 retired military trucks to volunteer fire departments across the
state. The agency transports the vehicle from a military installation, performs necessary repairs, and delivers it to
the volunteer fire department at no cost to them. The Texas A&M Forest Service excess military equipment
program is sponsored by the USDA Forest Service which also oversees the national program.
For more information on programs offered by Texas A&M Forest Service, please visit http://texasfd.com.