The money comes from the first round of fiscal year 2027 awards through the Rural Volunteer Fire Department Assistance Program. A news release says the program gives cost-share funding to rural fire departments for equipment, training and other emergency response needs.
At least seven departments got $45,000 each for a slip-on unit: Armstrong County, Boys Ranch, Fritch, Groom, Lipscomb, Miami/Roberts County and Panhandle. Hedley, Hoover, Kress, McLean and Shamrock each received $30,000 for personal protective equipment, while Childress, Dumas, Gruver, Locust Grove, Memphis, Mobeetie and Perryton each got the same amount for fire and rescue equipment. Bootleg Volunteer Fire Department picked up $15,000 for training aids.
For volunteer crews in small towns like Gruver, Kress and Mobeetie, the awards mean new protective gear, rescue equipment and trucks. Howardwick's brush truck money is the largest single award among those listed. It is more than three times what a slip-on unit brought in, and 11 times Bootleg's $15,000, the smallest check on the list.