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Friday, April 19, 2024
This week on Minute with the Mayor, Mayor John Huffman meets with members of the Fire Rehab Team about their essential volunteer work that has spanned close to two decades.
In an emergency, firefighters are often the first to show up. They wake up each day to serve their community while putting their lives on the line, but they need support too. Volunteers Paul Simon and Kristine Kemp show how the Southlake Fire Rehab Team dedicates itself to helping some of our bravest as they are on the scene and connecting the community in times of need.
The pair relayed that when Southlake Firefighters are dispatched to a call for an extended period, the Fire Rehab Team provides support services to recoup, recharge, and get back to what they do best – saving lives!
The team provides water, refreshments, cooling towels, and much more. “Fire Rehab’s been around for a long time now. For nearly 20 years, we’ve been providing services for the department and expanding as we go along. I believe we started with a pickup truck and a trailer, and then we moved along to get a Fire Rehab vehicle…,” said Simon.
The benefits of the team go far beyond just helping Southlake Fire, though. Kemp said, “I think for me, probably the biggest personal impact has been being on the ground when we’ve got families in our community who go through an unbelievable tragedy. Many families have fled with literally the clothes on their backs, and they have nothing. And so, because I’ve been a Fire Rehab Volunteer, I’ve connected the community with those needs….”
Mayor Huffman commented that the work of these volunteers pours into the community and makes Southlake one of a kind. Many volunteers get involved through work at the Southlake Citizens Academy, which occurs yearly. For more information about volunteering with the Department of Public Safety, visit their volunteer page here.
To watch the full episode of Minute with the Mayor, click below.
Beginning today through the end of June, Southlake Firefighters will be pulling double duty for a great cause! The Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA) Fill-the-Boot campaign kicked off this morning with firefighters hitting the streets with boots in hand.
The Southlake Fire Department is proud to have a long tradition of participating in the MDA campaign. Over the years, firefighters have raised tens-of-thousands of dollars thanks to your generous donations. It’s important to note that all of the money collected will serve the greater Tarrant County area. Your donations will help fund research for MDA; provide medical equipment; motorized chairs for children; and a week at the MDA Summer Camp for kids. The summer camp allows children with neuromuscular diseases the opportunity to just have fun and be a kid with other kids like them. The camp provides parents with peace of mind knowing their children are in great hands with caregivers who are dedicated health professionals and trained camp volunteers. It also gives parents an opportunity to spend special time with the camper’s siblings. 
The Southlake Fire Department is honored to be a part of the MDA Fill-the-Boot campaign and to be able to give back in such a positive way. Fire Chief Mike Starr says, “The relationship between firefighters and MDA reaches far beyond Fill-the-Boot. Over the years, several Southlake Firefighters have participated as camp counselors and they have inspired other firefighters to sign up for the MDA summer camp.”
Southlake residents have always been so generous with their donations. Because of you, firefighters have collected nearly $30,000.00 in years past reaching $33,327.29 in 2014. Every dollar counts.
If you would like more information about the Muscular Dystrophy Association, or information on how you can get involved – you can find all the information you need at MDA.
For more information about Fill-the-Boot in Southlake, please contact Renni Burt at 817-748-8106.
This is a story that will make animal lovers cheer! You’ve heard of firefighters rescuing cats from trees and dogs from frozen ponds, well, this story is about Southlake Firefighters who went above and beyond the call to rescue a Southlake resident’s beloved cat that became stuck in a storm drain. When the call came in around 6:00 p.m. Tuesday evening (December 23rd) firefighters went to work! 
They arrived at the location, the 1300 block of Pecos Dr. within minutes. Upon arrival, firefighters could hear the faint cry of a cat trapped in a storm drain. They are trained for confined space rescues so they were prepared for such a rescue.
They lowered one firefighter down into the manhole. It was dark and damp and visibility was limited. They could hear the cat but it had wandered an additional 250 feet further into the pipeline. Firefighters reached out to members from the City’s Public Works department who came without a moment’s hesitation. They also came equipped with a camera that could be thread down into the pipeline to see exactly where the cat was located.
As the hours ticked by, firefighters from “A” shift continued to work to reach the cat and help coax it out of the pipe. Finally, after more than two hours and multiple firefighters working to rescue the cat, a Southlake Firefighter emerged from the manhole with the cat cradled in his hands, safe and sound.
Deputy Fire Chief Wade Carroll said, “It’s not everyday that we get rescue calls of this kind, but when we do, our training kicks in and it’s great to see how our 
firefighters responded and helped to reunite a beloved family pet with its owner.”
The reunion with the cat and its owner makes for a great early Christmas present and a very happy ending.
Southlake Firefighters/Paramedics Jay Nunnally and Steven Tanner were recently awarded the EMS Superstar Award presented by Baylor Grapevine.
Firefighter/Paramedics Jay Nunnally & Steven Tanner – pictured far right Battalion Chief/EMS Trainer Ryan Arthur
They received this honor for their patient care efforts on June 5, 2015. Nunnally and Tanner provided emergency care to a 39-year old female who was two weeks post-partum, experiencing chest pain and having difficulty breathing. Upon further examination, they quickly recognized the patient was having a heart attack.
Firefighter/Paramedics Nunnally and Tanner immediately began advanced medical life support procedures and transported the patient to Baylor Grapevine. Based on the care rendered before arriving at the emergency room, the crew and patient were able to bypass the ER and go directly to the cardiac surgery unit.
We are thrilled to report that the patient made a full recovery and was discharged home on June 8th.
This is a great reminder for the American Heart Association & Caruth Center’s campaign called “Don’t Die of Doubt”. If you have chest pains, shortness of breath or any other signs of a heart attack call 9-1-1. A patient’s care begins the minute you make that call and patients are immediately transported from ambulance to the cardiac surgery unit. When precious minutes count call 9-1-1 … you or a loved ones life depends on immediate medical care.
October is Breast Cancer Awareness month. To help shed light on one of the number one causes of death in women, the Southlake Fire Department is once again participating in the Susan G. Komen campaign to raise awareness and money for cancer research. We have designed a pink firefighter T-shirt and a baseball cap that symbolizes our support for all of the courageous breast cancer victims and survivors. 
Southlake Firefighters will be wearing pink T-shirts and caps during the month of October. Extra shirts and baseball caps have been ordered for individuals who would also like to show their support for Breast Cancer Awareness. All proceeds from the sale of the T-shirts and caps will go directly to the Susan G. Komen Foundation.
The baseball caps are $10 and the short sleeve T-shirts are $12. If you are interested in purchasing one of these items please contact Our Community Initiatives Coordinator Renni Burt at rburt@ci.southlake.tx.us. You will need to add your full name, phone number, and the size requested.
The Southlake Fire Services Division would like to take the time to thank each and every one of you for your support in this very worthwhile effort. We feel very fortunate to have the support of our citizens and we want to take this opportunity to support others in their time of need.