Texas Rural Volunteer Fire Department 

Assistance Program (HB 2604)

• The Texas Forest Service Rural Volunteer Fire Department Assistance Program introduced
  a new program element identified as Training Aids. The new element absorbed the former
   training library and training equipment program elements and provides a pathway for
  departments to acquire different types of training aids to help enhance training experiences.
  
  
• Applications are due a month prior to the funding meeting date. Stay tuned to SFFMA website for funding meeting dates.
  
  
• Departments wishing to use subscription based on-line services can do so if they are awarded
  a grant for the Training Aids category
  
  
• ATS Courses are Approved for FIRE CE by SFFMA and TCFP
  
  
• The program will reimburse for the purchase of training materials related to
  Emergency Medical Responder and Emergency Care Attendant, but not for EMT content

“The Action Training program is extremely comprehensive and as simple and accommodating
as it gets for firefighters and users that need the flexibility to achieve any aspect of training desired.
Very straight forward from logging on to tracking the progress of each firefighter.

 As a Fire Chief I personally appreciate viewing our Firefighter progress and at the same
time reviewing topics on a regular basis to refresh my personal knowledge and keep up with
the latest firefighting techniques I may have missed. As each individual may have different goals
in life or the firefighting industry, the Action Training program has been beneficial for my upcoming
goal of Master Firefighter and an extremely valuable tool for identifying and producing those truly
valuable individual leaders, and future leaders, within our department.

 We utilized the outstanding Texas Forest Grant opportunity to obtain a thorough Fire
Department Library with the addition of the Online Computer Based training available from Action
Training. I don't believe there is a better combination or progressive set of individual firefighter
training tools that can be made available to any level of Firefighter.”

 Stan Wiggins - Fire Chief, Columbia Lakes VFD, West Columbia, TX

• Beginning Sept. 1, 2015, the annual grant budget for the program increases to
  $24.3 million (previously $12.8 million).
  
  

• Chartered, non-profit VFDs operated by its members are eligible
  
  
• Any part-paid, part-volunteer fire department with 20 or fewer paid members is eligible
  
  
• Cost-share assistance for the Training Aids program element is set at 100 percent of the
  actual cost not to exceed $8,000

• Now you can choose the ATS course format that works best for your training
  environment - Online Video Based Interactive courses, Streaming Video or DVDs

• Some key points about ATS Online catalog subscriptions:
  • If any series is updated in the catalog you are subscribed to, you get the updated
    version at no additional cost for the remainder of your current subscription term.
  • If new courses are added to the catalog you are subscribed to, you can request that
    we add these new courses to your account for the remainder of your subscription
    term at no additional cost