This is a brief history of the department as prepared by Chief Mike Barton in 2003.  A more detailed version is in the works.

Come Back soon for more updates.

Old siren used for alerting volunteers to a call

In 

In 1977 a private ambulance company serviced the Eagle Mountain fire district.  We had noticed that the service to our area was declining.  Then one day there was a major accident on Boat Club road and a person with a severe back injury lay there 45 minutes waiting for an ambulance to arrive.  That day we decided it was time to look for an alternate way of providing for our personnel in the event of an accident.  At that time our department had a van that was used to carry additional equipment and personnel to the fire scene so we decided to put a box in the van that would hold equipment but also had a pad on it so we could lay somebody on the box and carry them to the hospital.  We began sending our people to get emergency medical training and replaced the box with an old stretcher that was given to us.  A short time later, the private ambulance serving our area went out of business.  The Eagle Mountain Volunteer Fire Department became the Eagle Mountain Volunteer Fire Department and Ambulance Service, the first of its kind in Tarrant County.

As our area grew, so did our Emergency Medical Services.  From the van and advanced first aid, to our first basic life support modular ambulance and EMT’s, up to today with two ALS equipped modular ambulances, 7 Paramedics and 8 EMT’s.  It is still the only service of its kind in Tarrant County.

At present Eagle Mountain provides ambulance for over 4,000 people as well as portions of the rural area of the surrounding departments.  The dedication of this group of volunteers providing for the well being of their community in the past, today and into tomorrow is a fine example of what EMS Unit of the Year should stand for.  I may be a little biased but as far as I am concerned, they are one of the best services in Tarrant County.

B.G. Red Barton