Texas A&M Forest Service awards $15.7 million to Texas volunteer fire departments

COLLEGE STATION, Texas (KBTX) – The Texas A&M Forest Service is awarding $15.7 million dollars in grants to Volunteer Fire Departments across the state of Texas.

A total of 260 Volunteer Fire Departments across Texas are receiving these grants and some of these fire departments are right here in our area.

These departments received grants through the Rural Volunteer Fire Department Assistant grant program. This assistance program is a cost-share program funded by the Texas State Legislature.

Merrie Noak with the Texas A&M Forest Service says that funds will go towards equipment such as fire trucks, training aids, slip-ons, and fire and rescue equipment.

“This is funding that is building their capacity, funding that will enable them to acquire apparatus, fire rescue equipment, protective equipment, training aids. So it’s very important to those departments for those reasons,” said Noak.

The Chief of Shiro Volunteer Fire Department, Dan Sharron, is excited about the dry hydrant their department will receive.

“Anything that we can get where we can put water is an asset to the fire department. We do not have any water available east of Shiro all the way to Walker County,” said Sharron.

Some volunteer fire departments say that they applied for this money years ago but the Texas A&M Forest Service says there is a process in determining who gets what and when.

The Forest Service says applications can remain on file for an extended period of time due to available funds. Applications are ultimately selected by both geography and category, from apparatus to training aids.

Shiro first applied for their hydrant back in 2011 but has not received the grant until now.

“The way fire grants work with the Texas State Forest is that you’re put in like a lottery and you have to just wait for your number to come up, so the higher priority ones get the grants first,” said Sharron.

Ultimately, Sharron is grateful to the Texas A&M Forest Service for the funds.

“We’ve gotten grants in the past from The Texas Forest Service that definitely help us out. Without them, we’d be hurting pretty bad. So, you know, they’re a great asset for us as far as equipment and training,” said Sarron.

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