Forreston VFD converts military truck to fire truck

The Forreston Volunteer Fire Department has turned a military truck into a fire truck thanks to some helpful donations.

The new slip-on unit is a self-contained firefighting system that's used for grassfires or forest fires in addition to structure and automobile fires. The unit has a 700-gallon water tank and a 10-gallon cascade foam system. The foam is spread over a fire to smother it and lower the possibility of it reigniting.

"Before now, the largest tank that we had was a 400-gallon capacity," Forreston VFD Fire Chief Wes Curry said. "This unit will allow us to stay out longer which will help with a quicker knock-down of a fire."

The Forreston VFD got the funding with the help of a $20,000 grant from the Texas A&M Forest Service Rural Volunteer Fire Department Assistance Program.

The Department of Defense Firefighter Property Program gives excess military equipment to fire departments. Since its launch in 2005, the program has provided over 500 military trucks to volunteer fire departments across Texas.

Curry is excited to use his new addition.

"This truck will be an asset to our department," he said. "It is automatic and has 6-wheel-drive and is much taller than our smaller bush trucks. It will be able to get out into our rural areas that have very rugged terrain."