The Texas A&M Forest Service approved $14 million in funding for grants to Texas volunteer fire departments Friday, February 13, with several Hill County departments receiving funds.
Among the 708 grant recipients, the following Hill County departments were awarded: Aquilla VFD, $25,000; Bynum VFD, $25,000; City of Blum Fire and Rescue, $25,000; Covington VFD, $10,000; Itasca VFD, $25,000; Lakeview VFD, $25,000; Mertens VFD, $25,000; White Bluff VFD, $35,000; and Woodbury VFD, $25,000.
Recently, the 89th Texas Legislature approved a historic $192 million appropriation to Texas A&M Forest Service through the Rural Volunteer Fire Department Assistance Program (RVFDAP), marking the largest single allocation in the program’s history.
This funding was the third scheduled distribution of that historic allocation for Texas volunteer fire departments. This support addresses volunteer fire department requests for personal protective equipment and training aids that were requested on or before November 2024.
“With this funding from the Legislature, we’ve been able to expedite the awards schedule to cover the list of unfunded requests,” said Jason Keiningham, Capacity Building Department Head for Texas A&M Forest Service. “This provides support to some fire departments that may have been on waiting lists for years.”
The first two rounds of funding awards occurred in October 2025 with $164 million awarded for 558 fire trucks and 321 slip-on units (mobile water systems), and an additional $17.6 million awarded in December 2025 for rescue equipment and dry hydrants. These grants, along with the most recent awards, amount to a total of $195 million given to Texas volunteer fire departments.
Although assistance requests made prior to November 2024 have been largely satisfied by this third round of funding from the recent legislative allocation, Texas volunteer fire departments continue to experience ongoing needs for vehicles, equipment, safety gear and training.
Recognizing this continuing need, during the legislative session, the RVFDAP was also appropriated approximately $88 million in base funding for the biennium (fiscal years 2026-27)—the most ever allocated—to address ongoing needs for critical equipment at the local level.
“This additional base funding allowed us to increase reimbursement levels in certain categories to better reflect rising equipment costs, while also reducing the financial burden on departments by lowering cost‑share requirements,” said Keiningham.
Texas fire departments can access critical resources through FireConnect, a modernized, centralized database managed by Texas A&M Forest Service. Designed to enhance operational and administrative effectiveness, FireConnect serves as a streamlined portal where departments can apply for state and federally funded grants and assistance.
Beyond financial support, the platform acts as a statewide directory for public and inter-agency use, offering a portal for incident reporting and a searchable equipment database. This new feature can help agencies during complex, fast-moving emergencies rapidly identify and secure the mutual aid equipment needed to protect Texas communities.
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