The Hockley County area has the benefit of sharing fire department resources through mutual aid (MAA) and interlocal (ILAs) when emergencies strike that a single fire department may need assistance with fighting fires or other emergencies.
An MAA is for an immediate, reciprocal emergency response (like fire/police help during disasters), while an ILA is a broader, formal between governments for sharing any service for efficiency, often covering long-term operations beyond just emergencies, though MAAs can be a type of ILA. Essentially, ILAs, sometimes called automatic aid agreements, are the general legal framework for government cooperation, and MAAs are specific ILAs for reciprocal emergency management aid and assistance in case of disaster too great to be dealt with unassisted.
Hockley County, in addition to the larger Levelland Fire Department which has around 30 employees, has volunteer fire departments in Sundown, Ropes, Whitharral, Anton and Smyer, as well as in Cochran County with the Morton and Whiteface fire departments. Each can be dispatched as needed and can go out-ofcounty if seriously needed. There is various mutual training between departments to enhance coordination, communication and efficiency between Levelland FD and the volunteer departments. The interim fire chief is Patricia Byars-Faulkner.
In Texas, volunteer firefighters aren't statemandated to be certified, but most join the SFFMA (State Firemen's and Fire Marshal's Association) certification program, offering Basic, Intermediate, Advanced, and Master levels, often mirroring the TCFP (Texas Commission on Fire Protection) standards for career firefighters, covering core structure suppression, hazmat, driver/operator, and specialized roles like wildland or instructor certifications. Key initial training includes Courage to Be Safe, Traffic Incident Management, and Cancer Awareness, with ongoing education available through TEEX and state academies.
The Texas Legislature provided additional grants to help “beef up” many volunteer fire departments with various needed equipment and trucks, which can be critical with the threat of wildfires in the state and other natural disasters. Texas A&M Forest Service conducted the first funding meeting for FY 2026 on Oct. 14, 2025, and awarded approximately $164 million in grants to Texas volunteer fire departments, which included 558 fire trucks and 321 slipon units through the Rural Volunteer Fire Department Assistance Program (RVFDAP).
In Hockley County, Smyer VFD received $300,00 for a water tender; and Sundown VFD also received $300,000 for a water tender. The equipment can be critical for fighting fires in rural areas and particularly with large structure fires and wildfires. During the legislative session, this program was also appropriated approximately $88 million in base funding for the biennium (fiscal years 202627 - the most ever allocated— to address ongoing needs for critical equipment at the local level. Additional funding for fire and rescue equipment, personal protective equipment, training aids and dry hydrants will be awarded to Texas fire departments on a rolling basis across the next several months.
On Dec. 5, 2025, the distribution of the second round of grants was announced, with the Levelland Fire Department receiving $25,000 for fire and rescue equipment. Texas uses a tiered approach to wildfire response, establishing local fire departments and counties as the first on the scene. State response is activated as wildfires become more complex and grow beyond the capacity of local first responders.
The area fire departments also provide many other services and assist with community events making them a very valuable asset to the county.