Evidence from credible sources supports the statement as accurate. Learn more in Methodology.
Local governments that provide emergency services to areas with population of 50,000 or less and that serve communities rated moderate-to-high wildfire risk by the Wildfire Risk to Communities tool may use the funding to purchase slip-on tanker units.
The Department of the Interior press release (Feb. 2, 2026) explicitly says the Slip‑on Tanker Pilot Program “can be used by local governments that provide emergency services to areas with a population of 50,000 or less to purchase slip‑on tanker units” and that applicants “must serve communities with a moderate to high wildfire risk, as determined by the Wildfire Risk to Communities tool.” The program Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) and the DOI SOT tool corroborate the population cap and the risk‑rating requirement. Verdict: True — official DOI materials and the NOFO state both the ≤50,000 population eligibility and the moderate‑to‑high Wildfire Risk to Communities requirement.