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Colleyville fire chief reports rising EMS demand, new training facility and community programs
Summary
Fire Chief Mark Cantrell told the Colleyville City Council on Feb. 18 that EMS calls are rising, the department is updating technology and facilities, and the city will build a small on-site training building to keep crews in service.
Colleyville Fire Chief Mark Cantrell updated the City Council at a Feb. 18 work session on staffing, awards, training and rising emergency medical service (EMS) demand, and said the department will build an on-site training facility and is implementing new incident- and pre‑fire planning software.
Cantrell told council members the department runs three rotating 48-on/96-off shifts and that all firefighters are required to become paramedic-certified (new hires may start as EMTs and must obtain paramedic certification within 36 months). He said the department currently has six positions budgeted to EMS, four active EMTs, three new hires scheduled to start in early March and three personnel enrolled in paramedic school.
Why it matters: Cantrell said EMS now accounts for the majority of calls and the city is adjusting training, equipment and deployment to match that shift. He warned that mutual‑aid ambulance requests doubled last year and said the city is watching those numbers to determine whether deployment or staffing changes will be necessary.
Cantrell outlined equipment, awards and facility work. He said Colleyville has received Mission: Lifeline gold-plus recognition for cardiac care and the Heart…
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