The China Spring Volunteer Fire Department beefed up its firefighting power with the addition of a 2.5 ton converted Stewart Stevenson cargo truck.
The department received the truck through the Department of Defense Firefighter Property Program thanks to a $20,000 grant from the Rural Volunteer Fire Department Assistance Program. Both programs are administered by the Texas A&M Forest Service.
"We painted the truck, added emergency lighting, a radio, new railings and steps for easier access," said China Spring VFD Fire Chief Scott Needler.
According to a press release sent Friday morning, the truck will help strengthen the department's capability, creating a safer more efficient source for firefighting.
“This Stewart Stevenson is replacing a F650 two-wheel-drive vehicle and is an upgrade for the department,” said Needler. “It has four-wheel-drive which will give us easier accessibility to fires that are in rough terrain or pastures and farm land. This is also the first slip-on unit for our department. It has a 600-gallon water tank, 10-gallon foam tank and an 18 horsepower motor, basically making this truck a better all-around vehicle.”
A slip-on unit is a complete self-contained firefighting system designed for a pick-up truck or custom-built vehicle platform. It is used in wild land firefighting as well as structure and automobile fires.
The addition of foam will help the water to go further because the foam coats the fuel and helps to extinguish the fire, according to the China Spring VFD. The firefighter spreads a blanket of foam on the area involved, smothering the fire and decreasing the possibility of it reigniting.
The Department of Defense Firefighter Property Program launched in Texas in 2005, has released over 600 retired military trucks to volunteer fire departments across the state. The agency transports the vehicle from a military installation, performs necessary repairs and delivers it to the volunteer fire department at no cost to them.
The Texas A&M Forest Service excess military equipment program is sponsored by the USDA Forest Service which also oversees the national program.
