COLLEGE STATION, Texas – The Texas A&M Forest Service has approved $17.6 million in additional funding for Texas volunteer fire departments through the Rural Volunteer Fire Department Assistance Program. The funding will provide 687 fire and rescue equipment grants and 66 dry hydrant grants to departments statewide.
The Rural Volunteer Fire Department Assistance Program was established in 2001 by Texas House Bill 2604 to provide grants to rural volunteer fire departments for firefighting equipment and training. Since its inception, the program has awarded over $500 million in grants to Texas fire departments.
This funding is the second phase of distributing more than $192 million appropriated by the 89th Texas Legislature for volunteer fire departments that submitted requests on or before November 7, 2024. The program also received approximately $88 million in base funding for the 2026-27 biennium to address ongoing equipment needs.
Additional funding for personal protective equipment and training aids will be awarded to Texas fire departments in the coming months.
Fire departments may apply for future grants through FireConnect, a Texas A&M Forest Service database that serves as a grant portal, public directory of fire departments, and resource for submitting incident reports and locating firefighting equipment for mutual aid during emergencies.
To view the full list of grant recipients, click here.
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