By MES Dispatch staff

The Briefing

• • Hunt County commissioners voted to end the contract with the Quinlan Volunteer Fire Department for services in unincorporated areas outside Quinlan, Texas.
• • The move followed a March 2025 house fire that killed three people and prompted questions about the department’s response.
• • Commissioners also cited a 2025 crash involving a Quinlan fire truck that raised concerns about training and vehicle maintenance.
• • Coverage inside the Quinlan city limits by the South Hunt County Fire Department is not affected.
• • Fire protection services will continue under the current agreement for 90 days while the county seeks a long-term solution.

HUNT COUNTY, TX — Hunt County commissioners on Jan. 8 voted to discontinue their contract with the Quinlan Volunteer Fire Department for fire protection services in unincorporated areas outside the city of Quinlan, officials said.

The decision followed a series of incidents involving the volunteer department, including a March 2025 house fire on North Shore Road that claimed three lives, prompting families of victims to ask county leaders for a review of the department’s response.

Commissioners also referenced a crash earlier in 2025 involving a department fire truck, saying the collision raised questions about readiness, training and maintenance of equipment, though specific details of the crash have not been released publicly.

The move affects fire protection services in unincorporated rural areas; response within the Quinlan city limits by the South Hunt County Fire Department continues separate from the county contract.

Officials said existing fire protection services will remain in place during a 90-day transition period while commissioners work to identify a long-term solution for residents in the impacted areas.

By MES Dispatch staff

The Briefing

• • The City of Clovis, New Mexico, will hire six firefighters earlier than planned after receiving a $2 million federal SAFER grant.
• • The grant from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security will help fund the positions over three years with a local cost share rising from 25 % to 65 %.
• • New hires are scheduled to start training in March and join operational squads by May 1, 2026.
• • Clovis has faced challenges meeting response goals amid population growth and staffing shortages.
• • City officials also plan to use Measure Y sales tax revenue for related staffing and equipment support.

CLOVIS, NM — The City of Clovis will accelerate firefighters hiring efforts after receiving a $2 million federal Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) grant, officials said Jan. 9.

The grant from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security will partially fund six new firefighter positions intended to strengthen emergency response capabilities. Clovis Fire Chief Chris Ekk said the department will hire the firefighters beginning March 23, 2026, with training completed by April 30 and operational staffing expected by May 1.

Under the three-year grant, the city’s local cost share is set at 25 % for the first two years and increases to 65 % in the third year, with about $140,000 planned from the General Fund in the first year.

Clovis has struggled to expand its workforce quickly enough to meet the demands of a growing population. Preliminary 2025 data shared with the City Council showed average emergency response times exceeding departmental goals.

Voters approved a 1 % sales tax, known as Measure Y, in 2025 to generate revenue for public safety and other operational needs. Officials said part of that revenue will support promotions, equipment purchases and supervisor staffing as the department grows.

Officials said the newly funded squad positions will remain after the grant period ends, with the city fully funding the roles beyond the initial three years.

By MES Dispatch staff

The Briefing

• A homeowner in Wagener, South Carolina, said the local fire department did not respond to his house fire Jan. 2 because the property was outside its reduced coverage area.
• The Aiken County Sheriff’s Office said the address was technically outside Wagener’s response plan.
• Former Wagener Fire Chief Hendrik Swanepoel said decreased funding has shrunk the department’s service area from about 95 square miles to around 1.5 square miles.
• Funding shortfalls have left the department with just enough to fuel apparatus, Swanepoel said.
• Past leadership controversies and investigations into fire fees have also affected the department in recent years.

WAGENER, SC — A house fire Jan. 2 drew firefighters from neighboring departments but not from the Wagener Fire Department after the property was determined to be outside the town’s reduced coverage area, officials said.

Homeowner O’Neal Miller said he watched crews from Salley, Couchton and New Holland fight the blaze that heavily damaged the rear of his Collum Pond Road residence, and he expressed disappointment that Wagener units did not respond.

The Aiken County Sheriff’s Office said the fire occurred outside the department’s response plan, as Miller’s property lies beyond the town limits and the department’s current service boundaries.

Former Wagener Fire Chief Hendrik Swanepoel said funding cuts have forced the department to shrink its coverage area from roughly 95 square miles to about 1.5 square miles, leaving limited capacity for calls beyond that zone. Swanepoel, who resigned in November, said dwindling tax revenue and a lack of resources have made it difficult to maintain essential equipment.

The Wagener Fire Department did not respond to requests for comment. In recent years, the department has faced leadership controversies, including the arrest of two former chiefs on breach of trust charges and disputes over the handling of fire fees, events that contributed to local scrutiny of funding and operations.