Doss Volunteer Fire Department adds new apparatus with $20,000 grant

Doss Volunteer Fire Department accepted a $20,000 grant from the Rural Volunteer Fire Department Assistance Program to purchase a slip-on unit and installed it onto a 5-ton excess military truck received through the Department of Defense Firefighter Property Program (DoD FFP), both programs administered by Texas A&M Forest Service.

Finished Truck

A slip-on unit is designed to become a fast, initial-attack firefighting unit; durable, flexible and highly mobile. It is used in wildland firefighting as well as structure and auto fires and is a complete, self-contained firefighting apparatus designed for a pickup or custom-built vehicle platform.

Recipients of the DoD FFP program are required to convert the vehicle into a service-ready unit within 180 days of acquisition and paint it a non-military color.

“The department did all of the work to convert the truck into a firefighting apparatus,” said Doss VFD Fire Chief Keith Priess. “They painted the truck white and built new railing along the bed and a step board in the back making either side of the truck easily accessible. The slip-on unit that was added has a 1,000-gallon water tank and a 10-gallon foam cell with a Honda motor.”

According to Priess the primary purpose of the truck will be wildland firefighting but because it is equipped with such a large tank and a dump valve enabling it to fill the role as a pumper/tender and will also be utilized when volunteering with the Gillespie County Task Force.

“The apparatus helps to increase our off road capabilities because it is such a rugged truck and will be a great benefit when responding to the needs of our community and rural areas,” said Priess. We appreciate Texas A&M Forest Service having the grant programs available to help volunteer fire
departments.”

Doss VFD was established in 1964 and the 34 volunteers serve a population of 1,100 in a 300-square-mile area.

For more information on programs offered by Texas A&M Forest Service, please visit http://texasfd.com.

Before

Slip-on Unit