Sherman is about 9 miles north of Howe. Newport Volunteer Fire Department was the Texoma-area recipient in a Texas A&M Forest Service distribution that provided $4.99 million to 118 rural volunteer fire departments on Aug. 26.
The funding can be used for firefighting vehicles, response equipment and protective clothing. It also may support training tuition, volunteer recruitment materials, and repairs or replacements for equipment damaged or lost in catastrophic events or declared disasters. The distribution closed out the agency’s fiscal year 2026 grant program as its fifth round.
Across the fiscal year, the program awarded more than $227 million to 1,229 volunteer fire departments statewide. Requests often exceed the funds available, including applications for replacement vehicles and protective gear. The 89th Texas Legislature added $192 million in one-time funding for pending requests, and applications not approved in the latest distribution will remain under consideration in future rounds.
Jason Keiningham, who leads the Texas A&M Forest Service Capacity Building Department, said the agency aims to use available money to help fire departments obtain equipment and training and expressed pride in supporting its fire-service partners.
