Grant gives Texas fire truck new life

By Greg Kendall-Ball
The Abilene Reporter-News

ABILENE, Texas — As the White Hat Fire devoured more than 72,000 acres in Nolan County in June 2011, a Sweetwater Fire Department brush truck collided with a road grader that had stopped on a highway.

Thanks to a $10,000 grant from Community Foundation of Abilene's Volunteer Fire Department Fund, the wrecked truck has been given new life and a new home.

Rolan Petty, treasurer of the Nolan VFD, said the grant helped cover almost half of the cost to restore the large vehicle.

"Last year, a road maintainer couldn't see and had to stop in a big smoke plume. He parked on the highway, and the Sweetwater brush truck couldn't see it there," Petty said. "The blade tore up the passenger side of the vehicle. It tore off the fuel tank and damaged the two rear axles."

Petty said SFD opted not to repair the truck, on loan through a Texas Forest Service program. Firefighters from Nolan inspected the truck and thought it would be useful, and the TFS transferred the truck to their department. They originally planned to spend two years to raise the money and complete the repairs. "But with that grant, we were able to fix the truck and put it back in service on July 2. Basically, it took us six months instead of two years," he said.

The Fire Department plans to hold a barbecue fundraiser in August to cover the balance of the $22,000 repair bill.

In the past year, the CFA has given 17 area volunteer fire departments more than $130,000. Katie Alford, foundation CEO, said they hope to raise $2.5 million in the next three to five years, to fund an endowment, which would provide about $100,000 per year for local VFDs. "Even though our wildfires haven't been as bad this year, we still feel it's important to provide funding for our VFDs to keep them in supplies and equipment," Alford said.

"The Volunteer Fire Department Fund is also a great way for people to support more than just their local department," she said. "They may support their local department through various fundraisers, but most of the time, when a big fire breaks out, you have many VFDs from several areas responding. The fund is a way to help all of the departments."

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