According to a report from Everything Lubbock, the Whiteface (TX) Volunteer Fire Department (WVFD) has purchased a new brush truck with aid from a cost share grant through the Texas A&M Forest Service’s Rural Volunteer Fire Department Assistance Program. The new truck replaces a 1994 model that had less response capability.
WVFD President/Training Captain Jay Kelley said they’ve responded to several calls including one for mutual aid to a house fire in Morton, and the truck as met and even exceeded expectations. Kelley also said that the truck’s improvements include a larger water tank, foam capability, and improved scene lighting.
On mutual-aid calls, WVFD’s response area doubles to 750-square-miles, making the addition of the truck even more valuable to the community. In 2020, they had 81 emergency calls, 12 rescues, and two house fires.
Texas A&M Forest Service Regional Fire Coordinator Paige Purvis said the truck increases the WVFD’s capability for a quick attack on the area’s grasslands, noting that the department is located in one of the driest parts of the Lubbock Region.
WVFD has been serving their community since 1965.