GRAHAM, Texas — With a grant of over $16,000, the Possum Kingdom Westside Volunteer Fire
The department is now able to fight fires more efficiently.
“Because county funds are widely dispersed among several fire departments, we never get enough
money to buy all the equipment we need,” said Jim Edmondson, Possum Kingdom’s former fire chief. “The
grant enables us to keep our equipment updated and without it we’d be in sad shape.”
Thanks to the Texas A&M Forest Service Rural Volunteer Fire Department Assistance Program, the
department upgraded to a new slip-on unit that holds a 400-gallon tank and has an improved foam system
to better help with wildland and structural fires.
“Our previous unit was worn out from over a decade of use, but now I feel more confident in our abilities
to serve the community,” said Edmondson.
The grants offered by TFS are important because VFDs respond to 90 percent of wildfires in Texas. The
departments are staffed primarily with volunteers who operate with little to no money.
The Possum Kingdom Westside VFD award is among the $12.8 million passed through TFS to Texas
volunteer fire departments each year.
To learn more about this program, visit http://texasfd.com.