English Bulldog Puppies for Sale in Denton, TX

“Cancer reduction has been a very big push in the fire service. This is one more step we're taking to protect our employees,” Denton’s fire chief said.

DENTON, Texas — The shiny red fire engine sitting inside Station 1 looks like any other, but the inside of this one is very different.

“This is the going to be the first electric fire truck in the state of Texas,” said Denton Fire Department Chief Kenneth Hedges. “It actually has two complete independent parallel systems. It is all-electric or the operator has the option to choose a diesel combustion engine as a back-up.”

It’s called a Volterra and sports a 246-kWh battery.

Pierce Manufacturing built it in Appleton, Wis. This engine emits zero emissions while driving in EV mode and pumping water at the scene of fires. But it does have a back-up diesel engine for redundancy.

Hedges said his department is about to find out how long the battery lasts on each charge but added that it only takes 90 minutes to go from empty to 100%.

But what happens if the engine’s battery runs out of charge during a major emergency?

Credit: John Gibson / WFAA

“At no point will this ever run out of charge,” he added. “The benefit of this unit is the fact that if one component was to break on either side, the electric or diesel side, the operator can actually convert and switch to other and continue using the vehicle and keeping it in service.”

The city paid $1.8 million for the electric truck, which is about $600,000 more than a diesel-powered one. Denton’s sustainability fund helped make up the difference in cost.

“The primary reason behind this was the removal of diesel exhaust," Chief Hedges explained. "I think everybody understands diesel exhaust is classified as this carcinogen. So, every day our members are being exposed to carcinogens on their job. Cancer reduction has been a very big push in the fire service. This is just one more step we're taking to protect our employees.”

“And not only that, it is ultimately a quieter experience for them,” said Scott Beckwith, an account executive with Siddons-Martin Emergency Group. “These apparatuses are very loud with the diesel engines. When they show up on the street to take care of somebody that may be calling for medical assistance or even a car accident… the engines are silent. That allows for [first responders] to be more efficient with their time, allows for less stress from the noise that's constantly going and allows them to work for the citizen in a quieter environment as well.”

Still, change is not always well received in the fire service, especially one as novel as this. But Chief Hedges included his staff early in this process.

“I think we're seeing the excitement that is something new and they're going to get to be the first ones to try this, not just in the Denton Fire Department, but statewide,” Hedges said. “So, from the crews’ response, I believe there's a level of excitement.”

DFW Airport just deployed a fleet of large electric Airport Rescue and Fire Fighting (ARFF) vehicles, and Dallas Fire-Rescue is getting its first Volterra fire engine in July, Beckwith added.

Nationwide, Madison, Wis., Portland, Ore. and Gilbert, Ariz. already have the Volterra technology responding to emergencies.

The Brief

Texas-based grocery chain H-E-B plans to continue its North Texas expansion with a new store in Denton.

H-E-B Denton

What we know:

The new store is planned for Denton’s Hillwood’s Landmark development near Interstate 35W and Robson Ranch Road.

Construction is expected to begin later this spring, once the 20-acre property sale is finalized.

"This is a rapidly growing area, and we are excited to introduce this new H-E-B store to Denton and surrounding towns. We look forward to meeting our new neighbors and sharing more details soon," said Mabrie Jackson, Managing Director of Public Affairs for H-E-B and Central Market.

What we don't know:

No date has been set yet for the store’s groundbreaking or opening.

H-E-B in North Texas

Big picture view:

H-E-B already has several locations in North Texas, including Plano, Allen, Frisco, McKinney, Fort Worth, Mansfield, Burleson, Hudson Oaks, Granbury, Cleburne, and Waxahachie.

New locations are planned for Irving, Rockwall, Mid-Cities, Melissa, Murphy, Prosper, and Forney.

An H-E-B-owned Joe V's Smart Shop opened in Oak Cliff last summer, and another is in the works for the Pleasant Grove area. There are also three H-E-B-owned Central Market stores in Dallas.

In January, H-E-B announced the purchase of a 10-acre property in North Dallas with the goal of opening its first H-E-B store within Dallas city lines. But that location is not yet listed on the company’s store map.

The Source: The information in this story comes from a news release from H-E-B and past news coverage.

> An updated list of all NFL Players from Ryan High School in Denton, Texas

Here’s an up-to-date list of all NFL Players from Billy Ryan High School in Denton, Texas.

The list includes only those players who have played in an NFL game.

See where it ranks among other schools in the state here.

NFL Players from Ryan HS

Provided by Pro-Football-Reference.com