Whitesboro Magazine 2022-2023

WHITESBORO FIRE DEPARTMENT The Whitesboro Fire Department was founded in 1915 and serves the growing community of Whitesboro, Texas. The department started with just a handful of volunteers and little side of Grayson County. The department operates 2 Mobile Intensive Care Unit ambulances that are staffed 24 hours a day,

7 days a week, 365 days a year. Emergency Management

to no equipment. For several years the fire and rescue departments were separate departments with different volunteers. Now the department consists of a roster of 40 volunteer firefighters, 12 full time EMS personnel, a full time Fire Chief and a part time Assistant Fire Chief. The department now has enhanced training and up-to-date equipment ready to provide service to people with various needs from fire protection, rescue response, and medical response 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. The department serves a fire district of 54.4 sq miles in the western part of Grayson County, Texas. The City of Whitesboro hired Steve Pinkston as the first paid Fire Chief and Fire Marshal in April 2019. The department has educational programs set up for new members and existing members to maintain a high level of readiness. Educational programs have also been set up for children, adults, parents, and the elderly. These programs emphasize the safety of others with classes in fire prevention, 911, and many others. Emergency Medical Services The department’s EMS division hired the departments first full-time shift-based employees in September 2022. Whites boro Fire Department ambulances started answering the call on October 1st, 2022. The division is led by Assistant Fire Chief Jeff Patterson and EMS Captain Stephen Wilcox. Whitesboro ambulances serve approximately 280 sq miles of the western

Assistant Fire Chief Jeff Patterson serves as the City of Whitesboro Emergency Management Coordinator. As Emergency Management Coordinator he works to devise action plans that work to minimize damage and death in our community. He works closely with the Fire and Police Chiefs, the City Administrator, City Council and the Grayson County Office of Emergency Management. The City of Whitesboro has adopted a multi-hazards Emergency Management Plan that provides guidance on handing various emergencies and, if necessary, assessing additional help from other resources. The City of Whitesboro maintains 4 outdoor warning sirens that are strategically placed throughout the City. These sirens deliver warning messages to our community related to severe weather and other emergency situations. The outdoor warning sirens were replaced with new, modern sirens in 2021 and now deliver verbal messages warning community members who are outdoors, that something life-threatening is happening and they should go indoors to get more information. The sirens are tested on the first Tuesday of every month at 1pm.

Whitesboro Chamber Of Commerce 17