Whitesboro Fire Department: Difference between revisions
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Latest revision as of 21:48, 3 October 2026
Template:Infobox fire department
The Whitesboro Fire Department is an American fire and emergency medical services agency serving Whitesboro and western Grayson County, Texas. The department was established in 1915 as a volunteer organization and has since developed into a combination fire and EMS department providing fire suppression, rescue, and emergency medical services. [1]
History
The Whitesboro Fire Department was founded in 1915. The department initially consisted of a small number of volunteers and had limited equipment. During its early history, the fire and rescue organizations operated separately with different groups of volunteers before eventually being combined into the modern department.[2]
One of the department's earliest documented major fires occurred in November 1915, when two two-story brick commercial buildings in downtown Whitesboro were destroyed by fire. The buildings housed businesses including the North Texas Telephone Company, the Majestic Theater, an attorney's office, and a restaurant. The fire also temporarily disrupted telephone service in the community.[3]
For much of its history, the department relied heavily on volunteers. Generations of Whitesboro-area residents have served as firefighters, with some families having multiple generations participate in the department.[4]
In April 2019, the City of Whitesboro hired Steve Pinkston as the department's first full-time fire chief and fire marshal. The hiring marked a transition toward increased professional staffing while maintaining the department's volunteer component.[4]
Emergency medical services
In 2022, the City of Whitesboro expanded the department's role to include municipal emergency medical services. The department's EMS division hired its first full-time shift-based employees in September 2022, and Whitesboro Fire Department ambulances began responding to calls on October 1, 2022.[5]
The department assumed full responsibility for EMS operations in western Grayson County and operates two Mobile Intensive Care Unit ambulances around the clock. The EMS division is staffed by full-time emergency medical technicians and paramedics and provides advanced prehospital medical care throughout its service area.[1]
The EMS service area extends beyond the department's 54.4-square-mile fire district, serving approximately 280 square miles of western Grayson County.[5]
Organization
The Whitesboro Fire Department operates as a combination department consisting of career and volunteer personnel. Its operations are divided into fire and EMS divisions. The EMS division operates two MICU ambulances 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, staffed by full-time EMTs and paramedics. The fire division has historically relied primarily on volunteers, with volunteers responding during the day as available and working a rotating shift system at night.[6]
In January 2026, the department began providing continuous 24-hour fire protection through full-time staffing supplemented by volunteer firefighters. The change provided staffed fire protection 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year. The department also transitioned to a 48-hours-on, 96-hours-off schedule for its full-time firefighters.[7]
Services
The department provides fire suppression, rescue, emergency medical services, and other emergency response services. Its training programs include fire suppression, rescue operations, emergency medical care, leadership, and public service. The department also conducts fire prevention programs, public education, youth outreach, CPR training, and emergency preparedness education.[1]
The department responds to emergencies throughout Whitesboro and its fire district and participates in mutual-aid responses with surrounding fire departments. In April 2025, Whitesboro firefighters responded to a large apartment fire at the Oakview Apartment Complex alongside firefighters from nine other departments. Nearly 50 firefighters participated in the response.[8]
Leadership
Steve Pinkston became the department's first full-time fire chief in 2019. He served as fire chief for several years and oversaw the department's transition toward increased staffing and the development of municipal EMS services.[6]
Jeff Patterson was appointed Director of Public Safety in March 2025, overseeing fire, EMS, dispatch, and emergency management operations for the city.[9]
Patterson was appointed Fire Chief of the Whitesboro Fire Department effective May 1, 2026, succeeding Pinkston, who retired as fire chief. Patterson had previously served with the department as a volunteer and assistant fire chief and had more than two decades of professional fire and emergency-services experience.[10]
Volunteer service
Volunteer firefighters have remained an important part of the Whitesboro Fire Department throughout its history. The department's volunteer tradition dates to its founding in 1915, and generations of local residents have served with the department.[4]
Although the department has expanded its full-time staffing, volunteers continue to supplement career personnel and remain an important component of the department's fire operations.[7]
Facilities
The Whitesboro Fire Department is headquartered at 206 West Main Street in Whitesboro. The facility serves as the department's primary fire and emergency-services station.[1]
See also
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 "Fire | Whitesboro, TX". https://whitesboro.org/444/Fire.
- ↑ "Whitesboro Magazine 2022-2023". https://user-35215390377.cld.bz/Whitesboro-Magazine-2022-2023/17/.
- ↑ "Fire At Whitesboro | Grayson County, TXGenWeb". https://usgenwebsites.org/TXGrayson/ANewLand/Disasters/ManMadeDisasters/Fire_Whitesboro/1915_WhitesboroFire.html.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 "Safety Matters" (in en). 2025-09-26. https://www.whitesboronewsrecord.com/article/1721,safety-matters.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 "Whitesboro Magazine 2022-2023". https://user-35215390377.cld.bz/Whitesboro-Magazine-2022-2023.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 "Operations | Whitesboro, TX". https://whitesboro.org/448/Operations.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 "WFD now to provide constant fire protection coverage" (in en). 2026-01-16. https://www.whitesboronewsrecord.com/article/1975,wfd-now-to-provide-constant-fire-protection-coverage.
- ↑ "Apartment fire challenges local first responders" (in en). 2025-04-18. https://www.whitesboronewsrecord.com/article/1294,apartment-fire-challenges-local-first-responders.
- ↑ "WFD's Patterson named Director of Public Safety" (in en). 2025-03-20. https://www.whitesboronewsrecord.com/article/1239,wfd-s-patterson-named-director-of-public-safety.
- ↑ "Patterson named Fire Chief of Whitesboro Fire Department" (in en). 2026-05-08. https://www.whitesboronewsrecord.com/article/2276,patterson-named-fire-chief-of-whitesboro-fire-department.