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.

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.

As time went on, Rockwall began to get a modern station and trucks. 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.

The first modern fire truck was built in 1939. The cab-chassis was purchased at the Ford manufacturing plant in Dallas . A fire pump was purchased and the truck was assembled in E. B. (Benny) Shaw’s mechanic garage located on the square. Benny was also the Fire Chief at the time. He mounted the pump, built and mounted the water tank, and built and mounted the fire chassis body. 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. Benny Shaw was born in Rockwall , Texas on August 28, 1898 and passed away in 1988. He became a Rockwall Volunteer Firefighter on April 10, 1939 and retired from the fire department in 1960 with 21 years of service. He served as a Firefighter and Chief for about 8 years of his career.

Firemen were notified of a fire call by a loud siren mounted on the water tower, which was located at the corner of Goliad and Washington Street . When it went off, it would sound a number of times for a house fire and a different number of times for other fires. The firemen also had a direct fire phone extension in their homes, so that when they were home, if someone called in a fire, they could listen to the conversation between the call taker and the citizen reporting a fire.

Rockwall purchased its first factory ordered fire truck in 1959. This was also the first enclosed cab pumper truck in Rockwall Fire Department history. 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.

In 1974 Rockwall purchased modern pagers, which gave the type call, location and other pertinent information. This was brought forth by Chief Freddy Morrow. Also Chief Morrow purchased Rockwall’s first self-contained breathing apparatuses.

Rockwall continued to purchase new trucks over the years. Chief Thomas Halls continued the growth by purchasing a 1970 grass truck, 1973 pumper and a 1979 pumper.

In 1984 Chief Benny Gracy took over command of the fire department. We built a new fire station which was constructed at 305 East Boydstun. The station was named Central Fire Station. We went to a new state of art radio system, which included mobile units, pagers, portable radios, and a new base station. The fire department had been using some old hand me down 37.260 low band radios which came out of police cars and the 1974 pagers were used on the public works channel. In 1983 the city was required to have an aerial device. Chief Gracy, Paul Merritt, Richard Williams, and Bud Riggs flew to New York and looked at old used aerial trucks. The found several 1972 model trucks, which had been taken out of service. One of them was the 1972 Seagraves 100-foot straight stick ladder truck. It was shipped in, re-furbished, and equipped for $ 42,000.00. This was in comparison to spending $450,000.00 for a new one. It took until 1984 to get the truck completed and it was placed into service. In 1995 the 100-foot aerial device failed its UL test and was taken out of service.

In 1985, Rockwall purchased its first custom pumper truck. It was an E-One 1,250 GPM pumper. In 1985, the fire department purchased its first self-contained breathing apparatus air filling stations to fill the air packs. In 1988, Rockwall purchased a new E-One 750 GPM pumper. The fire department looked at used trucks and then came to the decision to purchase a new aerial device. They purchased a 1996 LTI 85’ Quint at the equipped cost of $533,000.00. In 1999, the city bought two Freightliner Eagle custom cab 1500 GPM pumpers equipped at the cost of $ 255,000.00 each. 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. In his years with the department, he served as Firefighter, Captain and Chief. This brings us up to date on facilities and equipment. The Fire Department fleet consists of one aerial device, six pumpers, and a grass truck .

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
Many of the firemen have had extraordinary saves. Benny Gracy and Mark Poindexter saved a child in Lake Ray Hubbard. Benny Gracy saving two lives when he died in the line of duty. 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.

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.

Fireman’s Prayer  

When I am called to duty God
wherever flames may rage
give me strength to save a life
whatever be its age.

Help me to embrace a little child
before it is too late
or save an older person
from the horror of that fate.

Enable me to be alert
to hear the weakest shout
and quickly and efficiently
to put the fire out.

I want to fill my calling
and to give the best in me
to guard my neighbor
and protect his property.

And if according to your will
I have to lose my life
bless with your protecting hand
my loving family from strife.