Going into 2020, the Amarillo Fire Department is coming out of a year of major growth. AFD recently released statistics about the number of calls it responded to in 2019, as well as other measures of growth.
According to a news release, AFD responded to 23,693 calls in 2019, that being an increase of more than 850 calls from the year prior. 2019 also saw the relocation of two of the department's firehouses, as well as the remodeling of Firehouse 5, located at 3200 S. Washington.
During his time working for the fire department, Chief Jeff Greenlee said he has seen a constant increase of calls year after year. Many factors contribute to this increase, including the city's growth.
"A lot of it is just familiarity and comfort with the 9-1-1 system that wasn't there years ago," Greenlee said. "I think that's a lot of it. It gets used a lot more and for a broader range of things than it used to be."
AFD public information officer, Capt. Kyle Joy, said the increase in calls is also due to the new response measures taken on each year. In 2019, the department integrated paramedic engines to provide better service to EMS calls.
"Part of the reason for that is we are always working to provide a higher quality of service to the city," Joy said.
Having this data readily available helps the department improve for the future, Joy said, and data should dictate how firefighters should train in the future.
But in the early part of this new decade, the department has already undergone some change, with Greenlee announcing his retirement after eight years as chief and 27 years within the department. According to a news release, the city manager will announce Greenlee's replacement in the coming months.
Greenlee said retirement has been his plan for a while. He has learned a lot from transitioning from being a firefighter with the department to being its chief.
"I've learned a lot, mainly how to negotiate. Going from a firefighter to a fire chief, you have to learn a lot of the politics that you didn't deal with before," Greenlee said. "Daily, I deal with city management and all those components that you never deal with until you get in this position. That's the big learning curve."
Greenlee said the many things he has learned will continue to be with him through retirement. The one thing he will miss most about working at the department is the people.
"There are some great people who work here, and it will definitely be an adjustment not seeing these folks every day," Greenlee said. "You become part of the department over the years, for sure."
Joy said Greenlee has left his mark, helping contribute to AFD's growth over the years. He said Greenlee led the department with class and integrity.
"What I've seen personally is I have seen his willingness to go to bat for the firefighters, to try and make this fire department better in any way he can," Joy said. "Sometimes, a lot of that is behind the scenes things that the firefighters at the stations do not get to witness. A lot of it is meetings and trips to city hall, advocating for this fire department."
Joy said no matter who the city manager chooses to be the next fire chief, they have been left with a department that is in a good place.
"(Greenlee is) leaving behind some big shoes to fill, but I feel confident that he's developed a culture of guys who are able to fill those shoes," Joy said.
For the next fire chief, Greenlee said his advice is for them to have patience.
"Patience is probably the best advice I can give," Greenlee said. "There are so many moving pieces to this. You really have to have patience to navigate all of them. A lot of times, it's a hard skill for us to learn, but it's definitely needed."
The way AFD is going, Joy said he thinks it will continue to grow into one of the premier fire departments in the country. But that does not mean there is nothing for them to improve on.
"We have amazing response times, but you always want them to be better. When you look at injuries on AFD, we have amazing numbers, but until that number is zero, you can always get better," Joy said. "I think in every aspect of the fire department, whether it is program specific or just response, we are always looking to improve. I think that any time any fire department or any organization thinks there is no room for improvement, then I think that's the end of that organization. No matter how good we are at any of it, we can improve on all of it."
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