Texas A&M Forest Service awards $14 million to Texas fire departments
Third round of awards announced from $192 million legislative appropriation
Texas A&M Forest Service approved an additional $14 million in funding for grants to Texas volunteer fire departments on Feb. 13.
The program provides grants to rural volunteer fire departments for essential firefighting equipment and training.
This round of funding is the third scheduled dissemination of that allocation for Texas volunteer fire departments. This support addresses volunteer fire department requests for personal protective equipment, PPE, 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.”
Meeting rural fire department needs
The first two rounds of funding awards occurred in October, with $164 million awarded for 558 fire trucks and 321 slip-on units or mobile water systems, and an additional $17.6 million awarded in December for rescue equipment and dry hydrants. These grants, along with this round, total $195 million 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 also appropriated approximately $88 million in base funding for 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 reflect rising equipment costs better, while also reducing the financial burden on departments by lowering cost‑share requirements,” Keiningham said.
FireConnect access
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 by rapidly identifying and securing the mutual aid equipment needed to protect Texas communities.