Cherokee VFD prepared for summer fire season with 2019 brush truck now in service

  • Shown are Cherokee VFD Fire Chief, Rodney Johnson; Department President, Keith Davis; and Texas A&M Forest Service Regional Fire Coordinator, Matthew Schlaefer, holding a replica check designating the $100,000 cost sharing grant provided by the Rural Volunteer Fire Department Assistance Program administered by Texas A&M Forest Service.
    Shown are Cherokee VFD Fire Chief, Rodney Johnson; Department President, Keith Davis; and Texas A&M Forest Service Regional Fire Coordinator, Matthew Schlaefer, holding a replica check designating the $100,000 cost sharing grant provided by the Rural Volunteer Fire Department Assistance Program administered by Texas A&M Forest Service.

Thanks to a $100,000 grant and community support, Cherokee Volunteer Fire Department purchased a new 2019 brush truck. The cost share grant was through the Rural Volunteer Fire Department Assistance Program administered by Texas A&M Forest Service.

“With summer fire season fast approaching, we appreciate having a new addition to our fleet to help increase our capacity to protect our community and mutual aid area,” said Cherokee VFD Fire Chief Rodney Johnson. “Our department covers 428-square-miles of rural area so we do a lot of wildland firefighting. This truck is a great addition for that purpose, and it will also be used to answer emergency calls on State Highway 16.”

The truck has a 306-gallon water tank, foam capability, front bumper monitor and 4-wheeldrive. The brush truck has gone into service.

Cherokee Volunteer Fire Department depends on fund raising to help with department expenses and pay for needed equipment. Their most lucrative event is usually a May music festival, but due to the current COVID-19 restrictions the festival is cancelled.

“This new addition to our fleet would not have been an option for our department without the grant program through Texas A&M Forest Service and the backing of our community,” said Johnson. “Our department appreciates both.”

Texas A&M Forest Service is committed to protecting lives and property through the Rural Volunteer Fire Department Assistance Program, a cost share program funded by Texas State Legislature and administered by Texas A&M Forest Service. This program provides funding to rural Volunteer Fire Departments for the acquisition of firefighting vehicles, fire and rescue equipment, protective clothing, dry-hydrants, computer systems and firefighter training.

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