Weldon Volunteer Fire Department received a $200,000 cost share grant through the Rural Volunteer Fire Department Assistance Program. The grant program is administered by Texas A&M Forest Service and was used to help purchase a tender that is designed to transport water from its source to the scene of a fire.
This new addition will help solve one of the volunteer fire department’s greatest challenges.
“Fighting a fire was difficult when we only had access to 1,500 gallons of water,” said Weldon VFD Fire Chief Dennis Taylor. “This 2020 tender is very valuable to the department because it can carry 3,000 gallons of water which is exactly what we needed to help get an upper-hand when first arriving at a fire.”
Weldon VFD has 15 volunteers that help provide service to an 87 square-mile area. The residents of this area will greatly benefit from this addition to the department’s fleet.
According to Taylor the department would not have been able to make the tender purchase without the grant assistance from Texas A&M Forest Service.
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 Texas State Legislature and administered by Texas A&M Forest Service. This program provides funding to rural Volunteer Fire Departments for the acquisition of firefighting vehicles, fire and rescue equipment, protective clothing, dry-hydrants, computer systems and firefighter training.
For more information on programs offered by Texas A&M Forest Service, please visit http://texasfd.com.