State Grants Boost Volunteer Fire Departments Across Texas Panhandle

On December 8, 2025 the Texas A&M Forest Service announced it had awarded in excess of $550,000 in equipment and dry hydrant grants to volunteer fire departments across the Texas Panhandle. The awards came through the Rural Volunteer Fire Departments Assistance Program, established in 2001 to provide rural volunteer departments with essential firefighting equipment and training. The statewide distribution in this phase includes 687 fire and rescue equipment grants and 66 dry hydrant grants as part of more than $192 million being sent to volunteer fire departments.

The release named a number of Panhandle departments receiving grants. Recipients listed in the announcement included Allison Fire Department, Booker Volunteer Fire Department, Boys Ranch Fire Rescue, Canyon Fire Department, Channing Volunteer Fire Department, Childress Fire Department, Dimmitt Volunteer Fire Department, Follett Volunteer Fire Department, Friona Volunteer Fire Department, Fritch Volunteer Fire Department, Groom Volunteer Fire Department, Hartley Volunteer Fire Department, Higgins Volunteer Fire Department, Hoover Volunteer Fire Department, Kress Volunteer Fire Department, Miami Roberts County Volunteer Fire Department, Palisades Volunteer Fire Department, Potter County Fire Rescue, Rhea Hollene Volunteer Fire Department, Shamrock Volunteer Fire Department, Skellytown Volunteer Fire Department, Stratford Fire Department, and White Deer Volunteer Fire Department among others.

For Texas County the funding matters even when recipient departments are outside county lines. Mutual aid agreements and regional response networks mean equipment and dry hydrants in neighboring jurisdictions can reduce response times for structure fires, grass and brush incidents, and technical rescues that cross jurisdictional boundaries. Volunteer departments in rural areas commonly depend on grant cycles to replace aging equipment, install or restore dry hydrants, and pay for training that is not covered by local budgets.

Policy implications include the need for transparent tracking of how grant funds are used and sustained. One time equipment purchases carry ongoing maintenance and training costs that local budgets must absorb. County officials and volunteer chiefs will need to document deployments and maintenance plans to ensure long term readiness. As the statewide distribution continues, residents and elected officials should expect follow up reporting on how these grants translate into improved response capability and measurable outcomes for emergency services across the Panhandle and for Texas County.