Dallas Fire-Rescue (DFR) celebrated its 150th anniversary on July 4.
It hosted a sesquicentennial block party that morning at the Dallas Firefighter’s Museum. Approximately 150 people attended.
The City of Dallas first recognized a unit of volunteer firefighters in 1872. Since then, the department has expanded to include 58 stations and 2,000 active members.
DPR Chief Dominique Artis noted the department’s humble beginnings while speaking with WFAA, stating, “We started small, and we’ve grown to over 2,000 members. We’re the ninth-largest fire department in the country, but we’re the sixth-busiest. We’ve seen some dark days as a department. We’ve also seen some triumphant times.”
George Gamez, deputy chief of special operations, praised his colleagues and the institution.
“It’s a privilege, it’s an honor to be a part of a team that has served the city and the citizens for 150 years, and it’s a select few,” he said. “To be a part of that group of women and men that came before us, that created this culture and this history, we stand on their shoulders.”
At the block party, with live bagpipes playing and the ceremonial ringing of the “last alarm,” attendants took the time to honor Dallas firefighters who have died in the line of duty.
Firefighters Ron Hall and Chris Gadomski celebrated that they could even be present at the ceremony. Last September, both sustained severe injuries in an apartment explosion.
“Mainly just excited we’re here to see it,” Hall told WFAA.
Hall, a 38-year veteran of DFR, had been thinking about retiring before his injury, but the near career-ending incident made him appreciate his work all the more, and he decided to stick with his crew.
This year will also mark the 50th anniversary of the Dallas Firefighters Museum and the DFR’s emergency medical services team.
