HCFD
The Hopkins County Fire Department history goes back many decades with contracts between the local community volunteer fire departments and the Hopkins County Commissioners Court. In which the VFD’s were contracted to provide fire protection to the residence of Hopkins County not located within a municipality. In the late 90’s with volunteers for fire departments on the decline the Commissioners Court decided to fund a paid department located in the center of the county, to ensure a response to emergency situations when volunteer department response was minimal.
In 1999 Hopkins County opened Station 20 (Central) located in the City of Sulphur Springs which serves as the County Seat manning one fire engine that responded everywhere in the county to fire calls with the local volunteer departments. The paid county station would not and has not replaced the volunteer fire departments, but rather blossomed into a complex combination of county fire departments to serve and protect the citizens of Hopkins County. Being independent of an ESD it makes the fire protection of Hopkins County almost one of a kind in the State of Texas.
Since its start in 1999 Station 20 has grown to a full service 24 hours a day department that staffs 2 Engines Monday thru Friday during the day and 1 Engine at night and on weekends. The County employs 7 full time staff and a large number of part-time employees to cover Station 20.
The county also contracts with 12 VFD’s that are paid under contract a fee to all work together to assist the paid County Fire Department with providing fire protection to the residence of Hopkins County. By contracting with the local VFD’s this allows for each department to maintain their sense of community individuality that for so many decades made each department so unique. But still allows for the structured continuity to work together for the common good of the citizens of Hopkins County.
The county is covered by 14 fire stations which include the following;
Station 1) Sulphur Bluff VFD
Station 2) Como VFD
Station 3) North Hopkins VFD
Station 4) Peerless VFD
Station 7) Pickton-Pine Forest VFD
Station 72) Pickton- Pine Forest - Sub Sta.
Station 9) Saltillo VFD
Station 92) Saltillo - Sub Sta.
Station 11) Cumby VFD
Station 12) Brinker VFD
Station 13) Miller Grove VFD
Station 14) Tira VFD
Station 15) Dike VFD
Station 20) Central Station
Together the 12 VFD’s under contract with the Hopkins County Fire Department along with the paid County Central fire station make up the Hopkins County Fire Departments.
