Grapevine Professional Firefighters Association

artment, and civilian personnel employed by the Grapevine Fire Department. The general objective of the Association consists of promoting benevolent, educational, charitable, civic, patriotic, and fraternal activities among its members. The specific objectives of the Association are to preserve and strengthen comradeship among its’ members; to improve the wages/hours of work, and living conditions of its’ members and their families; to promote the health, security, economic, cultural, legislative, educational, social, political, and recreational interests of its’ members, their families, and the citizens of Grapevine; to defend and extend democratic institutions, procedures, civil rights, and liberties of its’ members and their families and all others; to maintain true allegiance and faith in the laws of the State of Texas and the Constitution of the United States of America. FIRE DEPARTMENT INFORMATION
Grapevine Fire Department (GFD) has a three shift system (A,B, and C). GFD provides service to just under 60,000 residents within the city’s 35.85 square miles. The city’s population during working hours increases to over 85,000 and over 100,000 motorists traveling through the city daily. GFD is a member of the Northeast Fire Department Association (NEFDA), which encompasses the 14 municipalities commonly referred to as “The Mid-Cities”. GFD’s obligation to our mutual aide partners increases our responsibilities of coverage to 180 square miles and 418,000 residents. GFD responded to over 13,000 calls for service in 2021 with an average response time of five minutes and thirty seconds. This is an increase of 7% over the last four years. (NOTE the desired goal for response is four minutes)

OPERATIONS STAFFING
Operations staffing includes 96 firefighters spread evenly across the three shifts. Maximum authorized staffing is 32 while minimum staffing is 26. Each station is staffed as follows:
Station 1:
• Truck 1 has one captain, one driver, and two firefighters assigned;
• Engine 1 has one captain, one driver, and one firefighter assigned;
• Battalion 1 is staffed with one Battalion Chief, who is the shift supervisor;
• Dive 1 is located at station 1 and is staffed by the members of Station 1 when needed;
•
Station 2:
• Engine 2 has one captain, one driver, and one firefighter assigned.
• Medic 2 has 2 firefighters assigned.
• Marine 1, 2, and 3 are all cross staffed by members of station 2 when needed for responses to Grapevine Lake. Station 3:
• Engine 3 has one captain, one driver, and one firefighter assigned.
• Medic 3 has 2 firefighters assigned. Station 4:
• Engine 4 has one captain, one driver, and one firefighter assigned;
• Heavy Rescue 56 is also located at Station 4 and is staffed by members of Station 4 when needed. Heavy rescue 56 is now responding to second alarm fires in the "mid-cities" as extra support and to act as firefighter rescue. Station 5:
• Quint 5 has one captain, one driver, and one firefighter assigned;
• Medic 5 has two firefighters assigned
• Brush 5 and Trail 5 are also located at Station 5 and are staffed by the members of Station 5 when needed.

*CURRENTLY ONLY TRUCK 1 MEETS THE MINIMUM STAFFING RECOMMENDATION PUT FORTH BY THE NATIONAL FIRE PROTECTION ASSOCTIATION (NFPA). THE NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF SAFTEY AND TECHNOLOGY CONDUCTED A STUDY IN 2010, WHICH SUBSTANTIATED THE NFPA GUIDELINES ON STAFFING. THIS STUDY CONCLUDED THAT FOUR (4) MAN STAFFING ON ENGINE COMPANIES ALLOW FIREFIGHTERS TO COMPLETE THE 22 ESSENTIAL FIREFIGHTING AND RESCUE TASKS 25 PERCENT FASTER THAN THREE (3) MAN COMPANIES IN RESIDENTIAL SETTINGS.

• Emergency Medical Capabilities
o 94 paramedics and 2 EMTs;
o Three Mobile Intensive Care Units with Advanced Life Support (ALS) capabilities:
EKG heart monitoring/defibrillator capabilities;
Advanced airway capabilities;
Intravenous drug administration. o ALS equipped fire apparatus.


• Fire Suppression Responsibilities:
o Fire suppression and rescue;
o Marine firefighting operations;
o Pre-incident planning of major life and target hazards;
o Occupancy fire inspections;
o Public service calls.
• Special Operations:
o Dive Rescue/Recovery team (32 divers) for underwater search and rescue;
o Technical Rescue Team (35 technicians) trained for high angle rope rescue, trench rescue, confined space rescue, structural collapse rescue, and search and rescue;
o HAZ-MAT Response (10 technicians) for hazardous material response in conjunction with NEFDA. Texas Task Force 1 (TX-TF1) is the State of Texas Urban Search and Rescue (USAR) response team designated to provide response to natural and terrorist attacks. TX-TF1 is one of 28 national USAR teams in the nation, which FEMA supports and coordinates. GFD currently has four members who are a part of TX-TF1. Some of these members have responded to the World Trade Center after the attacks of 9-11, New Orleans after hurricane Katrina, and Galveston Island after hurricane Ike. The State of Texas reimburses the city of Grapevine for the salaries of the firefighters deployed to these incidents as well as for overtime created by their absence. Firefighter’s participation in this program is voluntary and is at no cost to the city. Texas Intrastate Fire Mutual Aide System (TIFMAS) is maintained by the Texas Forest Service and is activated to assist when local emergency responders are in need of additional resources for large incidents. GFD is an active member of TIFMAS and responded to assist with the wildfires in Wise and Montague Counties in 2009. The State of Texas reimburses the City of Grapevine for the salaries of the firefighters deployed to these incidents as well as for the overtime created by their absence. Firefighter’s participation in this program is voluntary and is at no cost to the city.
• PUBLIC EDUCATION
o Buckets Safety Brigade
GFD currently has five firefighters who are active with Buckets Safety Brigade. This group conducts a highly energetic and entertaining fire clown show focusing on safety and injury prevention. This faction performs their show at every public and private school in Grapevine for grades K-5. The Fire Department, GFFA, and private donations are used to fund Buckets Safety Brigade.
• Honor Guard/Pipes and Drums
GFD Honor Guard/Pipes and Drums was established in order to have a means of providing a fitting tribute for the families of fallen firefighters. In addition to providing support for the department after the loss of a firefighter, this group carries out many details for the community throughout the year. These activities include posting colors at local events and leading the Grapevine Christmas Parade. The Fire Department, GFFA and private donations are used to fund the Honor Guard.
• FIRE PREVENTION
o GFD conducted 4086 occupancy inspections in 2010;
o GFD services and flows water through every fire hydrant in the city twice a year;
o GFD inspected 2200 residents and replaced/installed 682 smoke detectors and replaced 151 batteries since Feb. 20, 2010.



• GFFA IN THE COMMUNITY
The City allows GFFA members to solicit donations on duty for the Muscular Dystrophy Association (Jerry’s Kids). Our work is part of a national effort led by the International Association of Firefighters to collect as much money as possible to contribute to MDA. In the last decade GFFA members have collected over $100,000.00 for Jerry’s Kids. GFFA has collaborated with the Pink Heels Tour to help try to find a cure for cancer. Once a year a group of firefighters from Arizona begin a cross country tour in pink fire trucks to support those suffering with breast cancer. For the last two years Grapevine has been the official stop for the Pink Heels Tour in the DFW Metroplex. GFFA provides the visiting firefighters with food and hotel rooms for the days that they are here doing public relations events. GFFA entered the Adopt-A-Highway program in 2009. 4 times a year our members pick up trash on Highway 26 from Texan Trail to Grapevine Mills Circle. GFFA currently has three members who are volunteer counselors at a burn camp in east Texas. These members take a week off to do so at the Camp I-Tonka-Chief, helping these children as they participate in activities throughout the week. One of our members also accompanied two of these children to Washington D.C. for a weekend of sightseeing sponsored by the IAFF. GFFA hosts a pancake breakfast for all residents in December every year. This event is held at Station 1 and members of GFFA cook pancakes and sausage for the parents and children who attend. GFFA has partnered with Santa USA who fly Santa and his elves in on a helicopter to meet with the children. This event is funded by GFFA and all proceeds generated by this event go to support Buckets Safety Brigade and the Honor Guard/Pipes and Drums. GFFA members have a long and proud history of serving the citizens of Grapevine both on and off duty. We are committed to providing the highest quality of service to those in need when we are called to help. We believe our members are unique in that it is not uncommon for members of GFFA to return to Grapevine on their days off to collect money for MDA, pick up trash off the roads, educate children about fire safety, and do many other public service events that make this city better for the citizens who live here. We are proud to be Grapevine Firefighters and we are thankful to have the respect of the citizens we serve.