Fallen Heroes -
Those Lost in the Line of Duty
In the history of the fire department we have lost one HERO in the line of duty. It was April 28, 1985 when Chief Benny Gracy lost his life while attempting to rescue four citizens from floodwater. Chief Gracy, Mark Poindexter, and Deputy Blain Smith responded to a call on Interstate 30 north service road on four citizens trapped in rising floodwater on Buffalo Creek. Deputy Smith had rescued one of the citizens by the time Chief Gracy and Mark Poindexter arrived. During the attempt to rescue the other three, Chief Gracy, Deputy Smith, and two of the citizens were swept down stream. One of the citizens was trapped in a car at that location. Deputy Smith, Mark Poindexter and two citizens survived. Two citizens and Chief Benny Gracy perished. He gave the ultimate sacrifice to rescue lives.

In 1985 the 1985 pumper truck was dedicated in memory of our fallen hero. The Central Fire Station name was changed to Benny Gracy Memorial Fire Station. His picture hangs in the bay area overlooking us on a daily basis reminding all the firemen of who he was, what volunteering stood for, his dedication to the job, and that any of us could ultimately lose our life when the alarm sounds.

Rockwall Fire Department
In 1875 The first Rockwall County Courthouse located on the S.E. Corner of the present square was destroyed by fire.

In 1891 the second Rockwall County Courthouse, which was constructed in 1878 was destroyed by fire and a temporary two story brick building was built out of native sandstone.

In 1904 Fire destroyed five downtown Rockwall businesses and the post office.

After several noteworthy fires, the Rockwall Fire Department was formed in 1903.

First Meeting Site
The fire department had its first meeting hall on South Goliad Street on the square. The first modern fire station was located on East Washington Street . It is unknown when that station was constructed but it served the community until 1984.

Engines
The department has evolved over the years from utilizing volunteers fighting fires with bucket brigades, horse drawn hand pumpers, combustion engine driven pumps, open top trucks with pumps, and enclosed cab pumpers to today’s modern engines, ladder trucks and tankers.

The first modern fire truck was built in 1939 and was a F600 open top cap truck. It was assembled in E.B. (Benny) Shaw’s mechanic garage located on the square. The 1939 model was an F600 open top cab truck. Benny also built the city’s first panel emergency truck, which was used as an ambulance. The fire department purchased a second open top truck chassis in 1942. Benny Shaw built the tank and body for it.

Rockwall purchased its first factory ordered and first enclosed cab pumper fire truck in 1959. The firemen call it GRANNIE. She retired in 1999 and does not respond to fires anymore but she still runs and pumps. Granny will remain within the fire service for many years to come. She will serve as a pumper at our future training facility.

Paging Systems
The department used to ring a bell in town to notify volunteers there was a fire. Through time notification methods have changed. The city installed a party-line telephone in firefighter’s homes and businesses. When someone had a fire they called the emergency number 5331 and whoever answered it first took the information, while others listened on the other phones. When the first elevated water tower was constructed, the city mounted a large electric siren on it to notify firemen as a secondary means. When a call came in on the phone, a firemen would take the information, race to the station, set the siren off and write the type of call on a chalk board. Other firefighters would hear the siren, drive to the station and see what type call it was and its location from the chalk board. Then they would respond to the location. After time when Rockwall hired dispatchers for the police department, they answered the phone and set the siren off. Firemen would call the dispatcher to see what the call was and where it was located and then they would respond. In 1974 Rockwall finally received it first modern notification system to notify volunteers of the call. The system was voice pagers. The dispatchers took the calls and paged the volunteers giving the call information.

More Apparatus and a New Station
Rockwall continued to purchase new trucks over the years. In 1984 a new fire station was constructed at 305 E. Boydstun. The station was named Central Fire Station. In 1985, Rockwall purchased its first custom pumper truck.. In 1985, the fire department purchased its first self-contained breathing apparatus air filling stations to fill the air packs. In 1997 a bond was passed to purchase land to the south, land to the north, and funds to build station two. Station two was constructed and opened January 2, 2002 . It was dedicated and named Thomas Nalls Station after Thomas Hugh Nalls who retired from the fire department in 2001 after 41 years of service.

History
The fire department has played a vital role in this community since its organization in 1903. Yesterday and today, firemen are basically the same; local businessmen who leave their places of work, and citizens who dedicate their time away from their full time jobs out of the city to lend protection to people within the community when the signal sounds. Back then,  they had little to no training.  A lot has changed in the fire service, but one thing that still makes us different from other departments is that we are mainly a volunteer department supplemented by limited paid staff. The firefighters of today are still business owners and homeowners who want to serve their community and protect the lives and property of the citizens. The difference is that they are highly trained to handle today’s complex fires and operate today’s sophisticated equipment.

The fire department had its first meeting hall on South Goliad Street on the square. The firefighters would eat once a month at the meeting hall. Once a year their wives would join them there for a dinner. The wives did the cooking and it was reported to always be enough food and desserts to feed an army.

Shown in this photo are: Lyle Mc Donald, a pharmacist; Dick Faris, a furniture store owner; Bill Dove, a restaurant owner; Hal Barnes, an employee in Vance Drug Store; C.L. Bob Barnes, a farmer; Tom Ridgel, a lawyer; Felix Vernon, a post office employee; John Barringer, a Fate Texas farmer, Jack Lowe, a service station owner, Scott Bailey, Owner of Bailey Drug Store; Fred Wilkerson, a furniture store owner; and C.W. Tresenriter, a home builder. This photo was furnished by: Mrs. Joe F. Spafford Sr.

This photograph shows the 1939 open top fire truck just after it was built, sitting at the corner of Salina Alley and Leonard Street . Posing in the picture are J.E. (Lighting) Bridges, Sam House, Wade (Cut)Mc Coulskey, Benny Shaw and Willard Muncy. 

The above photograph shows the 1939 open top fire truck at the old Gulf filling station, which burned. Chief Benny Shaw is standing on the truck overseeing the scene and pumping water. The fire department purchased a second open top truck chassis in 1942. Benny Shaw built the tank and body for it.

In 1952, the firemen posed for a photograph in front of the courthouse. The 1939 and 1942 fire trucks were lined up and all the firemen in their uniforms lined up. The photograph from left to right had Benny Shaw, O.L. Stiger Jr., Hogue Lofland, Tevis Wimpee, Ted Cain, Ray Dowell, Buford Yeager, Wayne Rogers, Harless Dudley, Rooster Crawford, Bill Lawhorn, Elroy Blacketer, Bur Vernon, A.L. Gilbert, Foy McCurry, Lighting Bridges, F.N. Rosenbaum, Wade McCoulskey, and John Mark Gren. We have the honor of still having three of these honorary firemen with us today. Wayne Rogers, Ted Cain, Tevis Wimpee.

A Family Thing - generations of service, brothers,
father and son, etc.
The fire department is a brotherhood but it also has even stronger roots within our department. The department in the past and in the present consists of fathers, sons, uncles, and cousins. The tradition of firefighting is passed from generation to generation. Paul Merritt and his three sons Craig, Brett, Ron, and grandson Chad , Wayne Massey and his son Greg, James Radney and his son Aaron, are all currently firefighters together. Some of the past family members are Thomas Nalls and son Randy Nalls, Robert Smith and his grandson Michael Parker, James Cullins and his son Kenneth, Benny Gracy and his brother Dewayne Gracy, Billy Ray Sears and his son Mike, Weldon Daniel’s and his son Rod , Mark Poindexter and his son Andrew, his cousin Randy Lofland and his uncle Lenord McIntire, and the list could go on and on if we looked further back in the past.

Extraordinary Saves & Accomplishments
There have been many saved by firemen on motor vehicle extrications or by Cardio Pulmonary Resuscitation. The fire department has also saved many pets from burning buildings and even preformed mouth to mouth on some.

The Rockwall fire department has taken part in many major tragedies. They assisted with the Delta 191 plane crash at DFW. Terry Garrett and Mark Poindexter have assisted many of the North Texas Fire and Police agencies, including in the Oklahoma City Federal Building bombing, and World Trade Center terrorist attack in New York City , by conducting Critical Stress Incident Management Debriefings. The fire department Scuba Dive Team has assisted the Texas Rangers in solving a murder case by finding the murder weapon.