Since its founding in 1915, the Whitesboro Fire Department has stood as a cornerstone of safety and service for our community. For more than 110 years, generations of dedicated volunteers have answered the call, often literally, at all hours of the day and night to protect the lives and property of their neighbors. Many of these volunteers have been part of family legacies, with fathers, sons, daughters and grandchildren all serving together across decades. Their devotion has built the strong foundation on which our department stands today.
Volunteers have always been, and will always be, a vital part of the success of the Whitesboro Fire Department. Their willingness to sacrifice personal time and place themselves in harm’s way for others is something we can never fully repay. They are the backbone of our service and the heart of our tradition.
However, the demands on emergency services have changed significantly over the years. Whitesboro has experienced steady growth, bringing with it an increased call volume that puts a heavier strain on our volunteers. Not long ago, it was common for volunteers to live and work locally, able to leave their jobs when the alarm sounded. In those days, the department responded to just a few emergency calls each month.
Today, the picture looks very different. Calls for help come in an average of eight times a day, and some days the number climbs to 20 or more. Most people now work out of town and are not able to drop everything to respond to an emergency. The sirens you hear throughout the day are a reminder of how often your local first responders are called into action.
In 2022, the City of Whitesboro took an important step forward by hiring our first paid staff members to provide dedicated ambulance coverage. Prior to that, our community was served by a private EMS company. While they provided transport services, they were often unavailable for 911 calls because their ambulances were frequently out of the district doing non-emergency transfers. This left our citizens without timely emergency medical response when it was needed most.
The addition of paid ambulance staff has already improved response times and ensured that someone is always ready to answer a medical emergency. Now, as our community continues to grow, it is time to build on that progress. Paid fire staff must supplement our volunteers to guarantee reliable emergency response 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year.
Our volunteers will remain a vital part of the Fire Department and will continue to provide top-notch, professional service to the community they love. By combining their dedication with a core group of paid staff, we can honor the legacy of our past while meeting the demands of our future, ensuring that when the call for help comes, someone is always there to answer.
Jeff Patterson is the Director of Public Safety for the City of Whitesboro. He can be reached at [email protected] or by phone at 903-564-7533.