Keeping our community safe just got a major boost as the Crystal Beach Volunteer Fire Department successfully secured a $300,000 grant from the Texas A&M Forest Service for a brand-new water tender. To bridge the gap for the total $503,000 investment, Galveston County Emergency Services District #2 stepped in with financial assistance to cover the remaining $203,000 matching cost. Purchased from SAFER Industries of Houston, the new 2026 Fire Master 2000-gallon apparatus—designated as Tanker 22—comes fully equipped with advanced firefighting tools and will act as a support unit to provide additional water capacity for first-arriving units.
This acquisition is part of a broader statewide push through the Rural Volunteer Assistance Program, established by the 77th Texas Legislature in 2001. The program has significantly scaled up its grant awards this fiscal year by awarding $200 million to equip local heroes and safeguard communities across Texas.
