The Salado Volunteer Fire Department received a $200,000 grant from the Texas A&M Forest Service for a new brush truck.
The new truck will replace a smaller 20-year-old department vehicle.
“The new brush truck is larger and has more options that make it safer for the firefighters,” Salado VFD Chief Shane Berrier said in a released on Tuesday.
The brush truck has a 1,000-gallon water tank, 20-gallon foam tank, a bumper turret nozzle and an assortment of hoses that will increase the department's capabilities to protect the community. The truck will be used for fighting wildland or grass fires.
Berrier said it allows firefighters to fight a wildland fire when only one volunteer is available.
“The challenge that we face in our rural area is lack of fire hydrants. This new truck will be a great benefit because of the amount of water it will haul,” Berrier said.
The truck's primary use will be for wildland fire-fighting, but it will also be used for structure or vehicle fire.
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