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Denton Fire Department reports new ladder crew, electric engine and ISO 1 preliminary recommendation
Summary
Fire Chief Kenneth Hedges told council that new station openings and a ladder crew improved response-area coverage, the department is near dual accreditation, and a Volterra electric fire engine has arrived; preliminary ISO review recommended raising Denton to ISO 1.
Fire Chief Kenneth Hedges presented the Denton Fire Department’s 2024 annual report on April 1, reviewing workload trends, station openings, staffing, accreditation and equipment upgrades.
Hedges highlighted operations changes in 2024: the implementation of a lieutenant rank to create clearer on-shift hierarchies, the July opening of Station 9 (which the chief said brought airport and industrial areas into a 4-minute response benchmark), and placing a second ladder truck crew in service to improve citywide ladder coverage. "With the implementation of the station going online in July… the entire area… is under 4-minute response time," Hedges said.
Hedges described workload and staffing: the department responded to increasing overall calls for service (EMS comprises roughly 65–66% of activity). He said the department hired 47 new staff in 2023–24 and planned to fill eight current vacancies by April 14. Hedges noted a wave of retirements among members with 20+ years of service and said the department is expanding recruitment and training to address turnover.
Equipment and accreditation: Hedges announced the recent arrival of an electric fire engine (Voltera model), saying the vehicle can operate in full electric mode or switch seamlessly to diesel backup. He framed the electric engine as a safety and operational improvement: it reduces diesel exhaust exposures for crews, adds redundancy and was available faster than a new diesel apparatus. Hedges confirmed a public push-in event for the vehicle and said the unit performed to expectations during testing.
Hedges also reported a preliminary recommendation from Verisk (ISO) to reclassify the city’s ISO rating from a 2 to a 1 following the department’s submission; he characterized that recommendation as a strong validation of the department’s modernization, subject to final review. He said the fire department is pursuing both fire and ambulance accreditation and expected peer review on the EMS accreditation process in the upcoming months.
EMS and community programs: The chief said the department is moving toward a community-paramedic approach and has reclassified an EMS position into an EMS lieutenant to expand community outreach and hospital coordination. Hedges also noted many gas-leak responses and a potential area for call-volume mitigation, and that the department planned system-level strategic planning and digital-dashboards investments.
Ending: Hedges closed by thanking staff and noting that achieving accreditation and an ISO 1 rating would place Denton among very few such departments in Texas; council and staff asked follow-up questions about call-type trends, retirement rates and mental-health resources for firefighters. The briefing did not include a council vote.
Provenance: The fire department presentation began when Chief Hedges opened his report (topicintro) and concluded after council questions and chief responses about electric apparatus and accreditation (topicfinish).
