ABOUT US & OUR EQUIPMENT

The Miller Grove Vol. Fire Dept. runs a wide variety of emergency incidents on an hour-to hour & day-to-day basis.

The department responds to EMS calls, a variety of fire calls, MVA's (Motor Vehicle Accidents),Haz-Mat (Hazardous Materials) incidents, Gas Leaks, Electrical Inspections, along with a wide range of other service incidents.

The Miller Grove Vol. Fire Department has worked hard to acquire quality equipment for it's residents. We felt we should make our residents aware of the equipment they are seeing on the calls we make and why we use the apparatus for specific operations and functions. Some of the verbiage used should also help as you follow our incidents page as to the type of runs we made throughout the month and why certain equipment responded.

Our first responders have a variety of EMS equipment. Our members are certified from the level of first responder up to paramedic certification. Although we do have a paramedic, we carry very few drugs. The Texas Dept. of Health requires departments to have 24/7 (hour/day) manned stations with MICU (Mobile Intensive Care Unit) Ambulances to carry most drugs, Schedule IV Narcotics ( such as Valium & Morphine) must be carried under lock and key at all times. For the reason we are not a full time manned station, we cannot carry most drugs. However, we do train all members in CPR and use of the Automated External Defibrillator for patients in cardiac arrest. Once a patient has been down for 4-6 minutes in cardiac arrest, biological death begins. At this point, if we are lucky enough to get a patient back, they often live with brain damage or in a vegetative state. Considering the County EMS MICU takes 10-20 minutes to arrive, depending on what part of our district you live in, it is a necessity that the volunteers respond immediately to keep our patient's tissue cells perfused through CPR and the use of the AED until the County MICU can arrive and provide advanced life support, should we not have the drugs needed to resuscitate the patient.

We also carry a variety of oxygen equipment, glucose for diabetic emergencies, bandaging and splinting supplies for cut and fractures and other EMS equipment.

Engine-13 (Christened "The Judge")is a triple combination pumper that carries a full arsenal of Supply and attack hoses, appliances and nozzles, full compliment of ladders, extinguishers, Self-Contained Breathing Apparatus and all the equipment needed to fight any type of fire. Tanker 13 is probably the largest capacity tanker in this area.  It is commonly called to aid all other fire departments in Hopkins County and surrounding communities to fight structural and grass fires because of its ability to supply large voulmes of water (key to rural fire fighting) at sufficient pressure suitable for large fires. It also is our first out unit on EMS calls, carrying our full array of EMS equipment. We also carry the Jaws-of-Life on the Engine. This equipment and the EMS equipment make it perfect for MVA calls. It has an on board Diesel Generator that provides enough lighting to light a ball field (little bit of a stretch there). It can provide foam capabilities for post fire incidents during overhaul, has a variety of tools and equipment for forceable entry, removing downed limbs in roadways and a large variety of other service capabilities.

Tanker-13 (Christened "The Executioner") Is a 2009 Peterbilt 3000 gallon Tanker (Tender). It carries 3000 gallons of water and is the envy of the other county departments. It has a 3500 gallon portable Tank that is off loaded and filled to provide Engine-13 a supply of water for structure fires, and Booster-13 & Brush-13 multiple fills during large grass fires. It also has a 750 gallon pump along with attack and supply hose, appliances & nozzles, to provide a second means of attacking a structure fire, should Engine-13 require the extra lines or should it be out on another call.
It is often called to mutual aide other departments as far as Commerce during large fires (see August Incidents pictures)

Booster-13 This vehicle is somewhat of a quick response apparatus. It is used to fight grass and other varieties of small fires. It also carries a second set of EMS equipment. This is for getting into places where we have EMS calls that Engine-13 cannot get into or roads it cannot travel down in inclement weather.

Brush-13 (Christened "The Beast") This piece of apparatus should have been retired decades ago. The reason we continue to put money into it is because it is literally "a Beast". It is used for grass fires. It may be ugly, but I only know of once where it got stuck at a grass fire and has pulled up to 3 other units that were sunk into mud during grass fire operations by hooking them all together with chains. It is a piece of equipment that continues to outwork all other units in the area and it has a definitive reputation of being the hard hitter when it comes to grass fires among the area firefighters.