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Fire and EMS Operations
Fire Operations
The Highland Village Fire Department provides fire protection and emergency medical services to over 16,000 citizens in a 5.5 square mile radius as well as support to neighboring departments. This is done through pre-planning, prevention, and a constant state of readiness with personnel on call 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year.
The Fire Operations division consists of a frontline and reserve Paramedic Engine, a frontline and reserve MICU Medic, a Type 6 Wildland Engine, and utility vehicle. We have three shifts (A, B, and C), with a full staff of 6, and the ability to work with a minimum staff of 5, assigned to each shift with additional "power hour" personnel to work during peak demand times. Our emergency crews work 48 hours on shift and 96 hours off with a noon shift change.
Our personnel develop pre-fire plans of businesses and apartment complexes, maintain our equipment and fire station, conduct fire training on a daily basis, visit local schools, community events, and child care facilities to present public education messages, and provide station tours to the public, all while responding to a variety of emergency calls and non-emergency public assistance calls.
In 2019, the Department organized a formal Honor Guard to participate in functions such as City and community ceremonies, firefighter retirements, and funerals for fire and emergency personnel.
EMS Operations
The EMS Operations division consists of a frontline and reserve MICU capable Medic equipped with Advanced Life Support (ALS) equipment and manned by two firefighter/paramedics. Along with our MICU Medics, the Department also responds with a Paramedic Engine manned with a minimum of three personnel that are firefighter/paramedic certified. This way, immediate patient care can be initiated by the first arriving unit.
Our EMS personnel attend monthly and quarterly classes that satisfy the Texas Department of State Health Services Continuing Education requirements. There is a Field Training Preceptor (FTP) assigned to each shift and they are responsible for providing training and development for new, as well as, incumbent paramedics.
Training Division
The Training Division coordinates a vast array of classes and realistic drills or exercises for our fire and EMS personnel. The goal is for our personnel to retain muscle memory through repetitive training which enhances proper execution and reduces injuries on an emergency scene.
Our Department schedules a minimum of 20 hours of monthly fire related training, which exceeds the Texas Commission on Fire Protection (TCFP) requirement of 18 hours of continuing education annually for a certified firefighter with an additional 2 hours for each discipline (certification) they acquire. With this in mind, our personnel complete daily firefighting drills such as pumping, hose and ladder deployment, self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA) use and maintenance, and survival/rescue skills.
Recently, the Highland Village City Council authorized an interlocal agreement for the construction and operation of a state-of-the-art, joint fire training facility with the City of Lewisville and Town of Flower Mound. This facility is slated for completion at the end of 2022 or early 2023. This facility will provide our Department with the ability to create real-to-life environments to help prepare our firefighters to respond to all emergency incidents, especially the high risk, low frequency events. It will also facilitate interagency and multi-company fire training.
Wildland
All of the Highland Village Fire Department suppression personnel are certified Wildland Firefighters. They have been trained on the different techniques and equipment involved in combatting wildland fires. We are mobilized to statewide as well as out-of-state deployments through the Texas Intrastate Fire Mutual Aid System (TIFMAS) which is maintained by the Texas A&M Forest Service.
Wildland firefighters are required to earn 4 additional hours of wildland continuing education annually on top of the required training to maintain structural firefighter certification.