CITY OF WYLIE

A History of Service; The Next Chapter

by Craig Kelly

A strong sense of community and volunteerism has been a part of Wylie’s fabric since its founding in 1886, and the humble beginnings of the Wylie Fire Department (WFD) demonstrate this spirit. It began as neighbors helping neighbors — citizens leaving their fields, hardware stores, shops, banks, and the railroad to respond and assist a friend or family member when a fire broke out. No training, special tools, or funds, simply a call to be there for one another, a call to service. As the community grew and more industry came to town, these volunteers recognized the need to formally organize and began asking the City to help with funding for fire equipment.

The beginnings of WFD can be found in a few simple, oneline City Council minute entries penned in July, August, and September, a century ago. On July 17, 1909, the City Council made a motion that a fire pump be purchased and mounted on a wagon for the purpose of building a new fire machine. The Council then appointed the first fire company officers on Aug. 4, 1909. That same day the Council exempted the “fire boys” from the street tax. On Sept. 1, 1909, the Council purchased two buckets and an ax for the fire machine. On Jan. 9, 1912, an ordinance passed creating the office of the Fire Marshal.

The spirit of volunteerism that protected Nickelville and Wylie in the early days continued through the decades. In 1993 Jim Lynch was hired as the first paid fire chief. Later that year, Ronald Sims, Jeffrey Scribner, and Jeff Henderson were hired as the first full-time firefighters. While nearly all of the responders today are fully paid professionals, the spirit of service lives on in the “neighbors helping neighbors” legacy. Those civic-minded individuals from decades back have set the ideal for service by WFR that remains in existence today.

On May 13, 2022, Wylie Fire Rescue started a new chapter in its history with the grand opening and commissioning of Fire Station No. 4 located on the west side of town on McMillen Drive near McCreary Road. Mayor Matthew Porter, joined by City Councilmembers, Chief Brandon Blythe, City Manager Brent Parker, members of Wylie Fire Rescue, and the community, ceremonially uncoupled a hose marking the opening of the station.

The following day, thousands of people attended the open house and many participated in a traditional push-in ceremony of Wylie’s newest fire truck, Quint 144. The tradition dates back to the late 1800s when fire departments used hand-drawn pumpers and horse-drawn equipment. When returning to the station after a call, the horses couldn’t easily back the equipment into the bay so firefighters would disconnect the horses and push the equipment back into the station themselves.

Fire Station #4 is also home to Wylie’s newest public art project "Never Forget," a sculpture by Sacramento-based artist Terrence Martin. The iconic aluminum structures pay homage to the 343 first responders who lost their lives on 9/11 and contain actual pieces from the World Trade Center that people can reach in and touch. Names of first responders who gave all are laser-cut into the material, along with the image of a kneeling firefighter. Visitors are encouraged to stop by this very moving piece of art.

From its humble beginnings in 1909, more than a century later Wylie has grown into a recognized, dynamic, progressive department equipped to respond to almost any emergency that threatens lives and property. The City of Wylie made history in 2001 when WFR became the smallest department in the nation to obtain a class 1 rating (highest possible) from the Insurance Services Office (ISO), a very high honor considering less than one percent of more than 47,000 cities in the country have earned this rating. The department also features several recognized, regional, specialized operations teams including our swift-water rescue/dive team and hazardous material team.

Under the direction of Chief Brandon Blythe, WFR continues to grow. With the addition of station #4 opened in May of this year, WFR operates four full-service fire stations and serves approximately 60 square miles of Southeast Collin County, including contracted service to the City of St. Paul, while maintaining the ISO Class 1 PPC rating.

The legacy of service provided by WFR over the past 113 years remains the same -- neighbors rushing to help each other, caring deeply about the outcome, and helping people get back to normal by investing their sweat, tears, and even blood if necessary.