About Us

The Woodlands Professional Fire Fighters Association

The Woodlands Professional Fire Fighters Association (WPFFA) represents the line and dispatch personnel of The Woodlands Fire Department.  The Woodlands Fire Department is made up of 60 full-time firefighters, 24 driver/operators, 21 Lieutenants, 3 Captains, and 3 Battalion Chiefs, making a total of 111 uniformed suppression personnel, protecting a growing population of over 95,000.  There are also 3 Deputy Chiefs, 1 Battalion Chief, 1 Fire Chief, and a number of administrative and support personnel, which work during business hours.  The Woodlands Fire Department (TWFD) also employs 13 full-time dispatchers who staff the emergency communications center around the clock.  We are staffed 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, all year long, ready to respond at a moment's notice to calls for service.  The WPFFA is the association of suppression and dispatch personnel which collectively promotes a variety of issues, including a safe working environment, increased levels of service to the community, positive working conditions, and a competitive wage and benefits package for our members.

The Woodlands Fire Department

The Woodlands Fire Department operates full-time personnel and equipment out of 7 fire stations located within The Woodlands.  At the heart of the organization is a commitment to providing fast, thorough, and aggressive response to fire emergencies that occur in The Woodlands.  Each station houses firefighting equipment and the people to operate it.  All suppression personnel are trained to meet or exceed the standards set forth by the Texas Commission on Fire Protection for suppression firefighting before being employed.  That training is further developed by TWFD and continues throughout the firefighter's career.

Medical Response

The Woodlands Fire Department responds to all medical emergencies that occur in The Woodlands.  Each manned fire truck maintains an Advanced Life Support (ALS) capability, which means we staff our fire trucks with personnel trained in advanced medical  procedures.  This balance of Paramedics, EMT-Intermediates, and EMT's means that the highest possible level of pre-hospital care available anywhere arrives with the first unit on scene.  The apparatus carry a variety of medical equipment, including front-line cardiac drugs, EKG heart monitors and defibrillators, and advanced airway devices.  And since there are more fire trucks than there are ambulances in The Woodlands, TWFD will often arrive at the scene of an emergency prior to the ambulance.  Ambulance transport service is provided by the Montgomery County Hospital District EMS, which also provides 9-1-1 EMS for all of Montgomery County.

Hazardous Materials Response

TWFD also operates a hazardous materials response team which is made up of suppression personnel that are cross-trained as hazardous materials technicians.  Responding with our specialized HazMat response truck and decontamination trailer, TWFD HazMat team can be mobilized to respond to any emergency in Montgomery or surrounding counties involving toxic chemicals or other materials which may pose a threat to the public, emergency workers, or the environment.

Technical Rescue Division

In addition to these services, TWFD operates a Technical Rescue Division which is made up of firefighters specially trained for emergencies involving high-angle/high rise, swift-water, dive, confined space, and trench/collapse situations.  These firefighters must undergo extensive initial and continuing training to be able to effectively handle these types of specialty emergencies.

Communications Division/Montgomery County Fire Dispatch – “Firecom”

The Woodlands Fire Department is dispatched by its own communications division, housed at the Shenandoah Municipal Complex in Shenandoah, TX.  Firecom is staffed by thirteen full-time dispatchers, including three shift supervisors, a trainer, and a CAD administrator.  The dispatchers are supervised by Communications Manager. In addition to fire dispatching, Firecom also provides after-hours answering for the Shenandoah city and police telephone lines, and dispatches Shenandoah P.D. to incidents resulting from those calls. 

911 fire calls are answered by the Montgomery County Sheriffs Department in Conroe.  They are then transferred to Firecom unless the incident is within the city limits of Conroe.  The fire departments dispatched are:  Cut and Shoot, Lake Conroe, Grangerland, Montgomery, Needham Fire and Rescue, Bennette, N. Montgomery County, The Woodlands, S. Montgomery County, Porter, Timberlakes, New Caney, Splendora, River Plantation, and Magnolia.

Dispatch operations are organized into three 12-hour shifts, day, peak and night.  Day shift is 6:00 am to 6:00 pm; peak shift is 10:00 am to 10:00 pm; and night shift is 6:00 pm to 6:00 am.  Probationary employees rotate through the three shifts until they complete the probationary period, after which they may bid for a permanent shift.  Shifts are re-bid each year and are awarded by seniority.

Firecom dispatchers must be EMD certified, as they dispatch first responders to all priority one medical calls and motor vehicle accidents in the county, other than Conroe.  Firecom works closely with the Montgomery County Hospital District and the Montgomery County Sheriffs Office in coordinating emergency responses.

Other Services

TWFD also engages in a number of other emergency and non-emergency activities in an effort to exceed the expectations of the public we serve.  These activities include, but are not limited to: building inspections, pre-fire planning, educational programs, Woodlands Watch meetings, bike registrations, and virtually any other call for service from the public.