Hill Country volunteer fire crews rebuild with donated gear

Several Hill Country volunteer fire departments lost trucks and protective gear while responding to this summer’s catastrophic flooding.

Now, they’re rebuilding their fleets with donated equipment, the Texas A&M Forest Service announced.

The agency said the Hunt, Mountain Home and Ingram volunteer fire departments received fire engines, safety gear and a rescue boat through its Helping Hands Program, which matches departments that have surplus equipment with departments in need.

The Hunt Volunteer Fire Department was one of the first to respond when heavy rains pounded the area. Two of its trucks were damaged beyond repair in the emergency. A fire engine from Jefferson County’s Emergency Services District Three will help remedy part of that loss.

The Mountain Home Volunteer Fire Department aided in search and rescue missions and also saw significant equipment damage. The department received a donated fire engine along with air packs and other breathing equipment from Fulshear Volunteer Fire Department. A private donor also supplied a rescue boat, giving the department extra capacity to respond to swift-water emergencies.

Ingram Volunteer Fire Department received donated sets of protective clothing from Salado Volunteer Fire Department to replace gear ruined in the floods.

Texas A&M Forest Service said the donations were handed over Nov. 12 and are intended to restore basic readiness to departments, many of which operate on limited budgets.

“Our mission is to give fire departments every possible advantage so they can protect lives and property,” said Jason Keiningham, capacity building department head at the Texas A&M Forest Service. “These departments are the backbone of their communities; they show up for people on what is often the worst day of their lives. By providing equipment and support we are helping to ensure they have the tools they need to do their job safely.