Thanks to a historic investment by the 89th Texas Legislature, Texas A&M Forest Service approved $164 million in funding to award 558 fire trucks and 321 slip-on units to Texas volunteer fire departments through the Rural Volunteer Fire Department Assistance Program today.
The Rural Volunteer Fire Department Assistance Program was established by Texas House Bill 2604 in 2001 to provide grants to rural volunteer fire departments for essential firefighting equipment and training. Since its onset, the program has awarded over $500 million in grants to Texas fire departments, including today’s funding meeting.
The meeting marked the largest allocation of awards and the first phase in distributing over $192 million to Texas volunteer fire departments, following an appropriation approved by the 89th Texas Legislature for departments that submitted funding requests on or before Nov. 7, 2024.
Texas uses a tiered approach to wildfire response, establishing local fire departments and counties as the first on the scene. State response is activated as wildfires become more complex and grow beyond the capacity of local first responders.
“Texas fire departments are the front line of local response, and their equipment capacity is vital to response time and effectiveness,” said Al Davis, Texas A&M Forest Service Director. “This historic funding reflects the strong support of the Texas Legislature and governor. Their investment allows us to continue supporting and equipping firefighters who protect Texas’ lives and property.”
By using the funding through this program to purchase critical equipment, local fire departments increase their equipment capacity to respond to wildfires and a wide array of emergency incidents, including house fires and motor vehicle accidents.
During the legislative session, this program was also appropriated approximately $88 million in base funding for the biennium (fiscal years 2026-27)—the most ever allocated—to address ongoing needs for critical equipment at the local level.
Additional funding for fire and rescue equipment, personal protective equipment, training aids and dry hydrants will be awarded to Texas fire departments over the coming months.
Texas fire departments are eligible to apply for grants and assistance through FireConnect, a Texas A&M Forest Service database that provides a streamlined grant portal for the agency and fire departments. FireConnect also provides a comprehensive directory of Texas fire departments that is viewable for the public and all Texas fire agencies, as well as a portal for fire departments to submit incident reports to increase statewide situational awareness and track suppression costs.
View the list of grant recipients from the first FY26 funding meeting.
Article source and photo credit: Texas A&M Forest Service
