Newport Volunteer Fire Department was included in a Texas A&M Forest Service grant distribution that provided $4.99 million to 118 rural volunteer fire departments. Sherman is about 15 miles north of Van Alstyne.
The Aug. 26 awards were part of the fiscal year 2026 program’s final distribution, which was its fifth round. Funds can support firefighting vehicles, response equipment and protective clothing. The program also covers training tuition, volunteer recruitment materials, and repairs or replacements for equipment damaged or lost in catastrophic events or declared disasters.
Across fiscal year 2026, the program distributed more than $227 million among 1,229 volunteer fire departments statewide. Newport VFD was identified as the Texoma-area recipient in the latest round.
The 89th Texas Legislature added $192 million in one-time funding for pending requests. Applications not approved in this distribution will remain under consideration in future rounds. Jason Keiningham, head of the Forest Service’s Capacity Building Department, said the agency aims to direct available money toward fire departments’ equipment and training needs and assist its fire service partners.
