GFD Annual Report 2017 GFD Annual Report 2017 | Page 7

GRAPEVINE FIRE DEPARTMENT Annual Report 2017 Message from the Chief It is my pleasure to present to you the Grapevine Fire Department (GFD) Annual Report for Fiscal Year 2017. Perhaps more than ever in our 133 year history we are forced to consider our changing environment and the necessary evolution of our service which enables us to effectively meet our community’s needs. Calls for emergency medical service continue to increase, while building fires have decreased. We continue to focus on national and regional incidents, constantly evaluating how to prevent and respond should something occur in our community. As our city continues to evolve, clinging to our historical roots and embracing technology and its enhancements, our desire to provide the highest level of first class service remains constant. During 2017, GFD responded to over 6,185 calls for service resulting in over 13,300 responses by your fire department. These calls include fires, medical emergencies, rescues, hazardous chemical responses, and other general calls for public service. Of the 6,185 calls for service, 4,432 calls were for Emergency Medical Services. Likewise, we responded to several neighboring fire departments calls for assistance. In turn, these neighbors provided us service when we needed them. The Grapevine Fire Department added three new firefighters in 2017 while there were four members that retired. Hiring firefighter/paramedics continues to be quite challenging with the department conducting three hiring processes within the year. Additionally, we did have three firefighter/EMT’s complete Paramedic school. Paramedic school is a seven month long, intensive training program that includes classroom, clinical, and hands on training in order to sit for the National Registry Exam. All three members successfully passed the exam and joined our rolls as firefighter/paramedics. Please feel free to stop by anyone of our five fire stations for a tour or just to visit with some of the best and brightest firefighters anywhere in America. Your family is our family and we are always here to help. It is my honor to serve the men and women of the Grapevine Fire Department and its citizens. Annual Report 2017 Page 7 of 23