December 6, 2025 - The Texas A&M Forest Service awarded the second round of equipment grants for Fiscal Year 2026 on December 5, 2025. Approximately $17.6 million in grants was awarded
to Texas volunteer fire departments and five Shelby County fire department were listed among the 753 departments receiving grant funding.
Each of the following fire departments received $25,000 for Fire and Rescue Equipment: Center Fire Department, Huxley Volunteer Fire Department, Joaquin Volunteer Fire Department, Shelbyville Volunteer Fire Department, and Timpson Volunteer Fire Department.
In October 2025, the first round of funding was announced for approximately $164 million in grants with $1,675,000 being awarded to local Shelby County fire departments for essential firefighting equipment.
Related Article: Local Fire Departments Receive $1.6 Million from Texas A&M Forest Service
Press Release from Texas A&M Forest Service announcing the Fiscal Year 2026 Grant Funding distribution:
Texas A&M Forest Service Awards $17 Million to Texas Fire Departments
Thanks to a historic investment by the 89th Texas Legislature, Texas A&M Forest Service approved an additional $17.6 million in funding to award 687 fire and rescue equipment grants and 66 dry hydrant grants to Texas volunteer fire departments through the Rural Volunteer Fire Department Assistance Program today.
The Rural Volunteer Fire Department Assistance Program was established by Texas House Bill 2604 in 2001 to provide grants to rural volunteer fire departments for essential firefighting equipment and training. Since its onset, the program has awarded over $500 million in grants to Texas fire departments.
Today’s funding was the second phase in distributing over $192 million to Texas volunteer fire departments, following an appropriation approved by the 89th Texas Legislature for departments that submitted funding requests on or before November 7, 2024.
During the legislative session, this program 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.
Additional funding for personal protective equipment and training aids will be awarded to Texas fire departments in the coming months.
Texas fire departments are eligible to apply for grants and assistance through FireConnect, a Texas A&M Forest Service database that provides a streamlined grant portal for the agency and fire departments. FireConnect also provides a comprehensive directory of Texas fire departments that is viewable for the public and all Texas fire agencies, as well as a portal for fire departments to submit incident reports and search for firefighting equipment in times when mutual aid is needed on emergency scenes.
