City fire department receives grant

The Albany Volunteer Fire Department recently received a grant to purchase a “slip-on unit” that has been installed on a surplus military truck.

The $15,800 grant was made possible through the Rural Volunteer Fire Department Assistance Program.

The slip-on unit, or skid, is “self-contained” fire fighting equipment, including a water tank, pump, hose reel, and control panel, and has already been used several times, according to Albany VFD Fire Chief Travis Gardenhire.

The equipment is being used in the suppression of wildfires, he stated, and it carries a larger amount of water than the department’s previous units, giving the department multiple trucks to use during emergencies.

“This fire season has been very hard on us,” said Gardenhire. “The unit has been in constant use with the up-tick in activity through this dry season,”

He added that the department is always looking for new firefighters. Anyone interested in joining is encouraged to visit the department during its regular meetings every first and third Monday.

As a member agency of the Texas A&M University System, Texas A&M Forest Service is committed to protecting lives and property through various fire department assistance programs.

The Rural Volunteer Fire Department Assistance Program is funded by the Texas Legislature and provides cost-share 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, visit http://texasfd.com.