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COLLEGE STATION, Texas—On Tuesday, April 2, the Texas A&M Forest Service held the second of three funding meetings for the Rural Volunteer Fire Department Assistance Program in fiscal year 2024, awarding 74 grants totaling approximately $1.3 million.
Grant funding from the program will help Texas rural volunteer fire department recipients from this allocation purchase equipment such as dry hydrants, fire and rescue equipment, personal protective equipment, and training aids.
Tuesday’s funding meeting continued the program’s purpose of assisting eligible volunteer fire departments in Texas.
“We work diligently to utilize all available program funds to assist fire departments in acquiring the necessary equipment and training to allow them better to protect life and property across the state of Texas,” said Jason Keiningham, Texas A&M Forest Service Capacity Building Department Head. “We’re proud to do everything in our power to help our partners in the fire service.”
The grants are applied for and distributed through the Texas A&M Forest Service’s FireConnect website, which provides a streamlined grant portal and process for Texas A&M Forest Service and rural volunteer fire departments.
They have tentatively scheduled the final funding meeting for fiscal year 2024 on Wednesday, August 14, 2024.
The Rural VFD Assistance Program, launched in 2001, provides grants to rural VFDs for firefighting vehicles, fire/rescue equipment, protective clothing, dry hydrants, and firefighter training. Since its inception, the program has awarded more than $350 million to volunteer fire departments in Texas, including its award of more than $15 million to rural VFDs in October 2023. The Texas Legislature has allocated approximately $22 million to Texas A&M Forest Service for the fiscal year 2024 to award rural VFDs.
Click here for a list of grant recipients: FY24 Funding Meeting.
For more information on programs offered by Texas A&M Forest Service, visit TexasFD.com.