Sundown Volunteer Fire Department recently received a $15,000 grant for rescue equipment through Texas A&M Forest Service’s Rural Volunteer Fire Department Assistance Program.
The new equipment purchased through the cost-share program includes vehicle stabilization and rescue struts, a windshield cutter and a rescue saw.
“The equipment will allow for greater safety for the rescuers and the victim,” Sundown VFD Chief Cole Mulloy said. “Before we only had two-by-four and four-by-four wood blocks to use when we needed to stabilize a vehicle. Now we have the capability to lift a vehicle if necessary, to stabilize it better, and remove windshields when vehicle extraction is necessary.”
The department which was established in 1937 has always looked for ways to improve their capabilities to serve their 149 square mile area. The new tools allow them to be prepared when the need arises.
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 the fire department assistance programs offered by Texas A&M Forest Service, visit http://texasfd.com.
(News release from the Texas A&M Forest Service)
