Newport Volunteer Fire Department received funding in a $4.99 million grant distribution announced Aug. 26 by the Texas A&M Forest Service. The round provided money to 118 rural volunteer fire departments, with Newport VFD identified as the Texoma-area recipient. Sherman is about 15 miles northeast of Gunter.
The grants can cover firefighting vehicles, response equipment and protective clothing. They may also support training tuition, volunteer recruitment materials, and repairs or replacements for equipment damaged or lost in catastrophic events or declared disasters. This was the fifth and final distribution in the agency’s fiscal year 2026 program.
Across the fiscal year, the program distributed more than $227 million to 1,229 volunteer fire departments statewide. Assistance requests regularly exceed available funding, including requests for vehicles and protective gear. The 89th Texas Legislature allocated another $192 million in one-time funding for pending requests, and applications not approved in the latest round will be considered in future distributions.
Jason Keiningham, head of the Texas A&M Forest Service Capacity Building Department, said the agency uses available funding to support equipment and training. “We’re proud to do everything in our power to help our partners in the fire service,” he said.
