Newport Volunteer Fire Department was among 118 rural volunteer departments receiving part of a combined $4.99 million from the Texas A&M Forest Service on Aug. 26. Sherman is about 9 miles southwest of Denison.
The funding can pay for firefighting vehicles, response equipment and protective clothing. It also can support training tuition, volunteer recruitment materials, and repairs or replacements for equipment damaged or lost in catastrophic events or declared disasters. The Aug. 26 distribution was the program's fifth and final round for fiscal year 2026, and Newport VFD was identified as the Texoma-area recipient.
Across the fiscal year, the program provided more than $227 million to 1,229 volunteer fire departments statewide. Requests often exceed available money, including applications for replacement vehicles and protective gear. The 89th Texas Legislature supplied another $192 million in one-time funding for pending requests.
Applications not approved in the latest distribution will remain under consideration in later rounds. Jason Keiningham, head of the Texas A&M Forest Service Capacity Building Department, said the agency is working to direct available money toward equipment and training for fire service partners. Source: [texomashomepage.com](https://texomashomepage.com)
