Submitted by Karl Hines, Wildland Urban Interface Specialist, Texas A&M Forest Service:

From Texas A & M Forest Service Communications — July 23, 2014

Coupland VFD adds new foam unit to equipment with grant from Texas A&M Forest Service

COUPLAND, Texas – With the most recent addition to Coupland Volunteer Fire Department’s emergency equipment, a new slip-on unit purchased with help from a grant administered by the Texas A&M Forest Service,  the department will have several new capabilities.

CVFD received a grant in the amount of $26,775 from TFS to help pay for the new slip-on unit. “We were in need of a better skid unit than what we had, and we did not have access to a CAF unit within our department,” CVFD Fire Chief Tracy Gardner said. “Just having the compressed air foam already this year has been amazing.”

TFS passes approximately $12.8 million along to volunteer fire departments across the state every year, helping them purchase equipment to better protect lives and property.

Regional Fire Coordinator Mark Wobus said CVFD is a department that takes great pride in themselves and their work, and that the new equipment will go to good use.  “This unit will be replacing an older unit on a cab chassis that they are keeping,” Wobus said. “It will increase their capabilities by going from just a water unit to having a unit that produces foam. It will increase their firefighting abilities tremendously by helping them knock out fires faster and keep them out.”

To learn more about this program visit texasfd.com.