Funding Resources & Benefits Available to the Texas Fire Service
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Rural Volunteer Fire Department Assistance Program - $17 Million/Year
-Available to fire departments with 20 or fewer paid members
-Provides grants for fire equipment, training, apparatus
-Administered by Texas A&M Forest Service
-Referred to as the HB2604 Program
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Texas Intrastate Fire Mutual Aid System (TIFMAS) Grant - $1 Million/Year
-Available to fire departments with 21 or more paid members
-Provides grants to fire departments for fire equipment, training and state-owned apparatus
-Administered by Texas A&M Forest Service
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Equipment Grants (Administered by Texas A&M Forest Service)
Department of Defense Firefighter Property Program (excess federal military property)
For additional information - click here.
Helping Hands Program (donated, used equipment)
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Rural VFD Insurance Program
Provides financial assistance for FDs to get worker’s compensation or AD&D insurance
Administered by Texas A&M Forest Service
Referred to as the HB3667 Program
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Line-of-Duty Death Benefit - $500,000/Incident
Available to any firefighter’s family in the event of a line-of-duty death
Administered by Employee Retirement System of Texas
College tuition exemption available to children of fallen firefighters
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College Tuition Exemption
Volunteer and paid firefighters seeking a fire science degree are exempt from college tuition (excluding lab fees, etc.)
Administered by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board