A $200,000 grant from Texas A&M Forest Service’s Rural Volunteer Fire Department Assistance Program enabled Matador – Motley County Volunteer Fire Department to purchase a new tender.
A water tender is a specialized firefighting apparatus designed for transporting water from a water source to a fire scene.
“This truck is a replacement for an older vehicle,” Matador – Motley VFD Chief Lee Jones said. “The new truck is 3,500-gallon tender and is more reliable. It seats five people, has all-wheel drive and all the safety features are built in.”
The truck’s primary purpose will be for wildland firefighting.
“We get anywhere from 20 to 300 fires a year, depending on how dry it has been,” said Jones. “We cover over 1,000 square miles in our county so this tender will be very helpful when we respond to areas where there aren’t any fire hydrants.”
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 fire departments for the acquisition of firefighting vehicles, fire and rescue equipment, protective clothing, dry-hydrants, computer systems and firefighter training.
To learn more about the fire department assistance programs offered by Texas A&M Forest Service, visit texasfd.com.
(News release from the Texas A&M Forest Service)
