Greenwood Rural Volunteer Fire Department

1418 Greenwood Cut Off Road   Weatherford, TX 76088

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Press Release, 
Greenwood Rural VFD, 
Weatherford, Texas, 
May 9, 2005 

Congresswoman Kay Granger was in Weatherford on Monday to speak to the Zonta Club at their Status of Women luncheon. After the lunchen she presented the keys to a new 2005 Emergency-One Fire Engine to Chief John Burgoyne of the Greenwood Rural Volunteer Fire Department.

Congresswoman Granger stated that she and the other members of Congress are aware of the very important role played by volunteers such as those from Greenwood.  She is a member of the House Appropriations committee and as such oversees the funding of government agencies such as the Department of Homeland Defense, the federal department administering the grant .  Congresswoman Granger downplayed her role in the department's receiving the grant but acknowledged that both she and Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison had written letters of support for the department.

Greenwood VFD won a 2004 Federal Emergency Management Administration (FEMA) Assistance to Firefighters Grant valued at $158,400 for the new fire truck, and the department had to raise their share, $17,600 through various fundraisers and through donations from the residents in their district.  James Thomason, Grant administrator from FEMA's region 6 was also at the presentation and performed a site visit after the ceremony.

John Burgoyne, Greenwood's Chief stated that the Greenwood Department has been very fortunate, winning several FEMA grants and other grants through the Texas Forest Service and the Texas Commission on Fire Protection.  He said that he was very proud of the Greenwood membership which, because of their good fortune, voted last week to donate the department's retired 1976 Fire Engine to the Weatherford College Fire Academy. He also stated that he hoped other volunteer departments would take advantage of the FEMA grant opportunity in the future. The grant process is competitive with approximately 25,000 departments submitting grants and roughly 8,000 winning awards.

Interrim President of Weatherford College, Joe Tison, who introduced congresswoman Granger, thanked the membership of Greenwood for their gift to the college. Steve Malley, Director of the Fire Academy added his appreciation and promised that the fire truck, nicknamed "Old Betsy" by the Greenwood membership, would be put to good use training future generations of firefighters.


Published on Monday, October 11, 2004 4:50 PM CDT
Protecting the community

By Sarah Slee/Senior Reporter

Parker County's 450 volunteer firefighters are committed to protecting their community -- whether it's 2 in the afternoon or 2 in the morning. Despite full-time jobs, families and other outside responsibilities, they train, raise money and, of course, fight fires.

John Burgoyne, Greenwood Volunteer Fire Department's assistant chief, just completed a week of training at the National Fire Academy. A retired IBM executive, he started with the department almost four years ago. Although he has more free time on his hands than most volunteers, he said the academy is worth the trip. It is free to those active in fire service and provides invaluable experience, he said.

The academy, situated in Emmitsburg, Md., pays for transportation back and forth and provides housing. Burgoyne's only expense was his food.

"It is such a great resource," he said. "It's paid for and something all of our Parker County volunteer departments should take advantage of."

It's run by the U.S. Fire Administration through FEMA under the Department of Homeland Security. Both volunteer and career firefighters can take advantage of the training center's year-round programs.

Burgoyne said the academy focuses on department management -- incident command, training, leadership skills, fire prevention and homeland security.

"I will go again," Burgoyne said. "I've already got my next class picked out. It is an incredible program."

Firefighters can go once a year. Burgoyne first applied in March and received his acceptance in September. He heard about the academy through Mineral Wells Volunteer Chief Steve Perdue. Perdue taught a course at Weatherford College's annual fire school and emphasized the program to his students.

"He told us in his 35 years of firefighting, his week in Emmitsburg was the highlight of his career," Burgoyne said. "When I heard that, I said 'I'm going.'"

Burgoyne completed the program Oct. 1 with 22 other volunteer firefighters from across the country. He said the caliber of the instructors and the networking opportunities highlighted the trip. His class also visited the nearby Gettysburg National Park.

"The academy is in a great place; it's surrounded by history and culture," Burgoyne said. "It's a national treasure."

For information about the National Fire Academy, log onto www.usfa.fema.gov/fire-service/nfa/nfa.shtm or call the United States Fire Administration at (301) 447-1000.

"Homeland Security trains thousands of firefighters every year. This training helps better secure the homeland -- saving lives, protecting property and enhancing disaster planning," said Michael D. Brown, under secretary of Homeland Security for Emergency Preparedness and Response. "Graduates of these training programs make a major contribution back at home, in communities such as Weatherford."

You may contact reporter Sarah Slee by e-mail at wdreporter3@trcle.com or by phone at (817) 594-7447, ext. 225.


GREENWOOD VOLUNTEER FIREFIGHTERS RECEIVE THREE STATE GRANTS

The Firefighters of Greenwood Rural Volunteer Fire Department have recently been awarded grants from the Texas Commission on Fire Protection and the Texas Forest Service. The Commission grant will provide one set of bunker gear, three adjustable nozzles for their second brush truck and 300’ of replacement attack hose. The grant also awarded three scholarships to the Texas A&M Annual Fire School, which will be in late July in College Station.

The Texas Forest Service actually awarded two grants to Greenwood. The first is for five sets of bunker gear and the second is for an extrication tool set commonly known as the “Jaws of Life”.  The three grants total $19,080. 

The scholarships have great impact because they will allow three of Greenwood’s newer members to attend one of the best fire schools in the nation. Firefighters are willing to take a week’s vacation to improve their ability to respond to the emergencies, which happen residents of their district, but without the scholarships, they wouldn’t be able to attend. 

Chief Clay Yarborough noted that state and federal grants such as these allow volunteer departments to better serve their fire districts. He mentioned that the two Forest Service awards are matching grants and they will require a match from Greenwood, but he is confident the department can cover its share of the cost.

Training Coordinator, Kent Carter, who is a Lieutenant at Greenwood and is also a career firefighter with the North Richland Hills department, was particularly delighted about the new “Jaws of Life” tool set.  He stated that the department works accidents on both Mineral Wells Highway and IH-20 and that many of the accidents require some form of extrication. According to Carter, good, dependable extrication tools can make the difference between life and death. The new toolset will have a cutter, spreader and ram, which will greatly enhance the department’s ability to rescue trapped victims.

To learn more about these grant opportunities, call Jim Humphres of the Texas Commission on Fire Protection at (512)-239-4937, or Joe Fox of the Texas Forest Service at (979)-458-6505, or John Burgoyne of the Greenwood VFD at (817)-613-1403.
 


GREENWOOD FIRE DEPARTMENT RECEIVES GRANT FROM FEMA

December 4, 2003

WEATHERFORD, TX – The Greenwood Rural Volunteer Fire Department has received a grant of $40,689 from the Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program, administered by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). 

The award, part of $750 million being distributed to over 7,000 fire departments in 2003, will be used to purchase a training library, a thermal imaging camera and other firefighting equipment. The training library and thermal imaging camera will also be made available to Greenwood’s neighboring departments, which are joining together to form Parker County Emergency Services District #4. Those departments are Adell-Whitt, Cool-Garner, Millsap and Mountain River Volunteer Fire Departments. The Emergency Services District election will be held February 7th, 2004. 

“Firefighters play a key role in safeguarding America, and these fire grants provide first responders with the resources necessary to protect our communities from all hazards,” said Michael D. Brown, Under Secretary of Homeland Security for Emergency Preparedness and Response. “ I join President Bush and Secretary Tom Ridge in applauding our nation’s firefighters and share their commitment to ensuring that first responders have the proper equipment, resources, training and support to fulfill their responsibilities.” 

The Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program is administered by the U.S. Fire Administration (USFA), a division of FEMA, and assists rural, urban and suburban fire departments throughout the United States. These funds increase the effectiveness of firefighting operations, firefighter health and safety programs, new fire apparatus, emergency medical service programs and fire prevention and safety programs in local departments. 

Clay Yarborough, the Chief of the Greenwood Department said “These federal funds will allow us to provide improved service to our residents and will provide enhanced firefighter safety. Grants such as this are very important to rural departments such as ours. This award will not only help Greenwood but also should be beneficial to our partners in the proposed Emergency Services District #4.” 

For more information contact Lieutenant John Burgoyne of the Greenwood Department at 817-341-FIRE or jburgoyne@greenwoodvfd.org or Tom Olshanski of FEMA at (301)-447-1853 or Thomas.Olshanski@dhs.gov. 


Greenwood Rural VFD Wins Texas Commission on Fire Protection Grant

October 10, 2003 

Greenwood Rural Volunteer Fire Department has won a Texas Commission on Fire Protection grant to enhance its ability to deal with emergency situations in its fire district. The grant, which is valued at approximately $5,300, will provide the valves, adapters and suction line to allow the department to fully comply with Parker County’s Rural Water Supply operating procedures. This will result in improved water supply to any incident in the County through the shuttling of tankers and the use of drop tanks to hold water. In a test of the new system at the Parker County Fire School in March of this year, Greenwood and several other departments demonstrated a water flow of 1,250 gallons per minute over a sustained period of time. This type of water supply is unprecedented in the rural areas of Parker County. 

The grant will also provide a new electric generator and two ventilating saws for the department. Chief Doug Vogel stated, “This grant represents one step in a long process of improving our service to the citizens of our area. As Parker County continues to grow and develop, the mission of our department, and all the fire departments in Parker County, becomes more complex. These tools will help with our firefighting mission and will improve firefighter safety.” 


Greenwood Rural VFD Wins First Responder Institute Grant 

August 18, 2003

The First Responder Institute (FRI) recently announced winners of its fire department grant program and Greenwood Rural VFD was among them. The grant program is funded by the GSK Corporation the manufacturer of the antacid TUMS. FRI is located in Burtonsville Maryland and is dedicated to supporting first responders. Greenwood Rural VFD won a grant to purchase and equip a panel trailer, which will house a mobile Cascade System and the department’s salvage and overhaul equipment. 

The Cascade System will be used to refill air pack cylinders on fire scenes, providing Greenwood, and neighboring departments, virtually all the air pack cylinders they will need for any emergency. The trailer will also carry the departments salvage and overhaul equipment; generator, lights, tarps, chainsaws and a new K-12 saw which, will be purchased as part of the grant. 

The matching grant is valued at $2,600, which Greenwood will match from its operating budget. Greenwood’s Chief Doug Vogel said “We are delighted with this award because it will increase firefighter safety and allow us to do a better job of supporting our citizens”. 


Greenwood Rural VFD elects firefighters and citizen of the year.

At its March 2003 business meeting the officers and firefighters elected their firefighters of the year and citizen of the year for 2002.   The recipients have been recognized by their peers for outstanding contributions in throughout the year.

Clay Yarborough, Assistant Chief was elected "Officer of the Year" for his many contributions throughout 2002.  Clay serves as the departments training coordinator as well as the chief operating officer of the department.  His focus on training has resulted in dramatic increases in the skills of our firefighters.  In addition to his chores as assistant chief, Clay filled in for Chief Doug Vogel for much of the year since Doug was enrolled in the Paramedic program at the Weatherford College Fire Academy.

J. W. Young was elected "Firefighter of the Year" for his many contributions to the department. Although J. W. has over thirty-five years experience in the department he attends every training session and as many fires as is humanly possible.  He spends a great deal of his own time helping newer members of the department to build their skills.

John and Nancy Burgoyne were named "Co-Rookies of the Year" for their many contributions. John has worked on several grants to help with funding the department and Nancy has been a tireless worker on our fundraisers.  In addition, since the Burgoyne's are "semi-retired", they are our primary day-time firefighters.

Greenwood's "Citizen of the Year" is Charles "Smitty" Smith, owner of "Smitty's Tractors on Ranger Highway.  Smitty is a former Parker County Fire Marshal and has been a big help to the Greenwood Department. His contributions have helped the department through some difficult financial times.  The department presented Smitty with a Certificate and a sculpture of a firefighter. 

GREENWOOD RURAL VOLUNTEER FIRE DEPARTMENT BENEFITS FROM NEW STATE PROGRAM

Greenwood Rural Volunteer Fire Department has been in existence since 1965 and never has owned a new fire truck.  Until now!  The department recently received a grant of $54,000 from the State of Texas to pay for up to 90 percent of the cost of a new brush truck. 

Last Friday, State Representative Phil King led a group of officials in presenting the keys to a new, state-of-the-art Brush Truck to Chief Doug Vogel of the Greenwood Department. Also present at the ceremony were Keith Vaughan, Texas Forest Service Representative, Scott Epperson – representative of Wildfire Trucks of Arlington, Texas, manufacturer of the truck and various members of the Greenwood Department. 

The Rural Fire Assistance Program was established during the 77th Legislative Session when the Texas Legislature passed House Bill 2604 to provide $15 million annually to assist fire departments with equipment purchases and training. The program is funded by contributions from the insurance industry and administered by the Texas Forest Service. Since the money became available on Sept. 1, the Texas Forest Service has already allocated $8 million to volunteer and part-paid fire departments.  More than 400 grants have been awarded to 325 fire departments from 153 counties across Texas. 

Fire trucks account for nearly $5.8 million of the approvals, with 99 fire departments receiving up to 90 percent of the cost of a new fire truck. Other grants were approved for truck chassis or slip-on pumping modules, fire and rescue equipment, protective clothing, firefighter training tuition and dry hydrants.

“The Rural Volunteer Fire Department Assistance Program is destined to become one of the most significant legislative initiatives of Texas government in the 21st Century,” said James Hull, director of the Texas Forest Service. “The vast number of requests we’ve received is a clear indication that the program addresses an unmet need of the state’s volunteer fire departments.” In its first 60 days of operation, the program received more than 800 grant requests for more than $35 million. Assistance requests that were not approved in the first two funding meetings will remain active for one year and will be evaluated at future funding meetings. Any eligible departments that have not applied are encouraged to fill out an application, said Program Administrator Joe Fox.

“The needs of the volunteer fire community are tremendous,” Fox said. “We wish that we could immediately fund each and every assistance request that we have received. Because the requests far exceeded appropriation of funds, though, we’ve had to implement a rating system to guide program decision-makers in allocating the existing funds.

State Representative Phil King, who was instrumental in the passage of House Bill 2604 said, “This department’s being awarded a truck is exactly what HB 2604 is all about.  This is a volunteer organization without the funding base to buy new equipment by itself.  They needed the assistance of the State…and they got it. I am pleased to share in the excitement of their first new fire truck.”

Greenwood Chief, Doug Vogel stated… “On behalf of the department, I am delighted to accept the keys for this truck.  We are indebted to the State and TFS but especially our local businesses and citizens who have supported us in raising our share of the cost of the truck.  This truck is really owned by the people of our community.  It will allow us to do a much better job of supporting our citizens and local businesses.” 

For more information about the program visit www.tamu.edu/ticc 


Attending the ceremony in which State Representative Phil King (second from left) presented the key to the new truck to Doug Vogel, Greenwood’s Chief, were (l to r) Keith Vaughan, Texas Forest Service, Scott Epperson, representative of Wildfire Trucks, manufacturer of the truck, and Nancy Burgoyne and Michelle Yarborough, officers in the department.



FEMA ANNOUNCES GRANT AWARD FOR GREENWOOD RURAL VOLUNTEER FIRE DEPARTMENT

Washington, DC – The Federal Emergency Management Agency and the United States Fire Administration announce that the Greenwood Rural Volunteer Fire Department has been awarded a $32,305 grant from the 2002 Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program.
The department will use the award to purchase personal protective equipment and self-contained breathing apparatus for its firefighters. The Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program is designed as an opportunity for the United States Congress to work with FEMA to enhance basic fire service delivery across the United States.  Over 5,000 departments will receive over $360 million to support fire protection, EMS delivery, vehicle purchase, and prevention programs in 2002.

“The men and women of both volunteer and career fire departments confront new and changing life safety challenges, everyday,” according to USFA Administrator, R. David Paulison.  “President Bush has provided the USFA an opportunity to take some much needed steps in providing these people the right tools to be able to do their jobs safely and more efficiently.  It is our hope this grant assistance program will demonstrate our commitment to improving fire and life safety across the country, and will provide the necessary incentive for all Americans to join in supporting these brave men and women, as they face the challenges of today.”

Over 19,000 fire departments applied for grant awards this year.  The request of the Greenwood Department has been through a national peer review process involving over 300 fire service leaders.  Earlier this year the Greenwood Rural Volunteer Department received another grant award from the Texas Commission on Fire Protection in the amount of $17,800. Chief Doug Vogel said “We are delighted to win these grants because they will allow us to do a better job of serving our community as well as provide improved safety for our firefighters.”

For further information, contact Chief Vogel at (817) -341-FIRE, or Tom Olshanski, USFA Grant Information Coordinator, at (202) 646-3068.

USFA, part of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, serves the American public and the nation's fire services through training, data collection and analysis, public fire education, and fire protection technology research. For more information, including national fire statistics visit the USFA web site at www.usfa.fema.gov.


 
 















News Release: Greenwood Rural Volunteer Fire Department – April 29, 2002

J. W. Young Recognized by Greenwood VFD for 35 Years of Distinguished Service as a Fire Fighter

Shortly after September 11th, President George W. Bush challenged Americans to become volunteers as a means of resisting the threat of terrorism.  He specifically mentioned Volunteer Fire Departments as great choices for citizens to join or support in our country’s time of need.

J. W. or Jerry, as his friends call him, Young must have had great foresight because he heeded the presidents call, early….over thirty-five years early. In 1966, as the Greenwood Rural VFD was just beginning, a skinny 17 year old kid showed up to help out.

Last Saturday evening, at Greenwood’s Annual Spring Fling, Chief Doug Vogel presented J. W. a plaque and Assistant Chief Clay Yarborough presented JW’s wife, Charlie, a beautiful bouquet of red roses.  Chief Vogel praised Young for his commitment and dedication to the fire service.  Another of the volunteers, Nancy Burgoyne, praised J.W. for his work with younger, less experienced firefighters.  Young is a very patient teacher and is dedicated to helping others develop their skills.

J. W. talks about those days thirty-five years ago when the department bought its first trucks, some old government surplus trucks.  The department bought five trucks for a few hundred dollars and used three of them for spare parts.  That is a real contrast to today’s environment when volunteer departments must have the most modern of equipment because they are involved in very dangerous incidents; structure fires, hazardous material spills, motor vehicle accidents and brush fires.  Greenwood recently worked the motor vehicle accident on I-20 in which five Abilene Christian University students were killed.  And yes, J.W. was there, even though it was Easter morning.

J.W. Young has provided thirty-five plus years of service to the citizens of the Greenwood area, but his contribution will be felt for many more years.  His son, John Young is a volunteer with Greenwood and who knows….he could be for another thirty-five years.