The Lockhart City Council on Nov. 5 authorized staff to apply for a Texas A&M Forest Service Rural Volunteer Fire Department Assistance Program cost‑share reimbursement grant to purchase a small brush truck.

Fire Chief Randy Jenkins told council the statewide program pays up to 95% of the actual cost of qualifying small brush trucks, not to exceed $165,000, and is handled as a reimbursement: the city must take delivery, provide proof of purchase and pass a Texas A&M Forest Service inspection before reimbursement is issued. Jenkins said grant‑funded apparatus must meet the agency’s minimum standards and remain in firefighting service for at least 10 years.

Jenkins described operational needs driving the request, saying Lockhart has averaged roughly 20 wildland‑type incidents per year from 2020–2024 and that a new brush truck would provide pump‑and‑roll capability and daily frontline service at Station 2, complementing existing ladder equipment. He noted an ARPA‑funded vehicle already on order and due in April 2026 that will replace an older Rescue 1 unit; the grant truck would most likely replace the department’s 2012 brush truck.

Council discussed logistics and costs. Jenkins said a typical brush truck spec for Lockhart runs materially above the $165,000 reimbursement cap — the first truck in production using ARPA funds was described in the meeting as approximately $290,000 — so the grant would cover a portion of the purchase price and the city would provide the remainder. Jenkins also confirmed the grant award is in hand but reiterated it is a reimbursement, not an up‑front payment.

The council’s motion to authorize applying for the reimbursement grant passed 7–0. Mayor Pro Tem Angie Gonzalez Sanchez moved and Councilman Westmoreland seconded the motion.

If funded and accepted, staff said they will return to council with specific specifications, a recommended apparatus manufacturer and a purchase authorization once the vendor and specs are identified. The grant, as described in the presentation, expires Oct. 14, 2026.

Council members requested that staff provide full cost estimates and a purchasing timeline before any purchase commitment obligates budgeted funds in future fiscal cycles.