Our Town: Wolfforth Fire Department

WOLFFORTH, Texas (KJTV) - The expected doubling of the population of Wolfforth Is bringing a significant increase in city services; that includes the fire department and EMS. Lance Barrett Chief, Wolfforth Fire Department

“Just the small-town atmosphere. The willingness of people to commit to something bigger than themselves makes me super proud to be a part of it,” says Wolfforth Fire Department Chief Lance Barrett.

Chief Barrett is a big part of it with 19 years with the Wolfforth Fire Department and the last three as chief. His department has definitely changed since he started.

“When I first came here, we were strictly volunteer firemen, so the entire fire department was,” said Barrett. “The EMS was also a volunteer EMS, which was a separate organization within the city. Since that time, we’ve transitioned. Now, we’re a combined department. We, as in the fire service. The fire department runs EMS, so we’re under one umbrella underneath the fire department.”

Right now, there are 30-40 part-time staff, seven full-time staff members, and 20 volunteers. The chief describes the volunteers as the backbone of the department.

“Cause any time we have a fire or an incident of any substantiality, the two people on duty can’t handle the work, and so we have to rely on the volunteers to back them up and to provide that extra service for us.”

The anticipated growth of Wolfforth will definitely be felt in the fire department.

“With the growth that the city’s going through, we have to change the way we do business... Literally. The way we respond, the vehicles we respond with. The way we preplan, all the structures and the stuff that’s coming in town. It’s going to completely change the way our department operates.”

More people, more commitment, more time... both a scary and exciting time for Wolfforth.

“I would say both. For me, it’s super-exciting because it’s a huge challenge. It’s something new to all of us. At the same time, the uncertainty and wondering how we’re going to accomplish all that stuff is scary, but it’s an exciting time for the community.”

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