August 8, 2016 — Victoria, Texas — Victoria County Fire Department enhanced its fire service capabilities.
with the help of an $18,000 grant administered through Texas A&M Forest Service’s Rural Volunteer Fire
Department Assistance Program.
The grant went toward purchasing a new slip-on unit for one of the department’s existing trucks.
A slip-on unit is designed to enhance a fire department’s firefighting capabilities. The apparatus is built for the
rigors of the fire service and is easily mounted in the back of a pickup truck or a custom-built bed and is
especially effective in handling wildland fires, car fires, and others.
“This is a great unit,” Victoria County FD Chief Deputy Richard Castillo said. “It was easy to install; our guys
had the old unit off and the new one on in eight hours.”
The new slip-on greatly improves Victoria County’s capacity to serve its community. The unit has foam
capability, can be operated from the cab of the truck, and is a lighter, more powerful unit, according to Castillo.
Victoria County FD has already used the new slip-on for a couple of fires, including a mile-long fire on Highway
77 and a 6-acre fire that was ignited by hay bales.
“It has been a real blessing and was much needed,” Chief Deputy Castillo said. “It’s a great all-around unit and
we can also use it at the airport if needed.”
The fire department serves a population of approximately 9,000 people over 79 square miles of Victoria
County.
“[The grant program] is an inexpensive way for us to continue to utilize the truck we have,” Castillo said. “We
really appreciate the help!”
Texas A&M Forest Service is committed to protecting lives and property through the Rural Volunteer Fire
Department Assistance Program, a cost-share program funded by the Texas State Legislature and administered
by Texas A&M Forest Service. This program provides funding to rural VFDs for the acquisition of firefighting
vehicles, fire and rescue equipment, protective clothing, dry hydrants, computer systems, and firefighter
training.
To learn more about this and other programs offered by Texas A&M Forest Service, visit http://texasfd.com.