The Grapevine Fire Department, acting on behalf of the Northeast Fire Department Association (NEFDA), successfully secured a state grant of $160,000 dedicated to mental health resiliency. NEFDA, a coalition of 14 cities, will be the first in the region to benefit from this collaborative effort.
The grant, spanning a duration of 12 months, marks a significant milestone as the first of its kind awarded to a 14-city alliance. Over 700 fire department members across the participating cities, including Grapevine Fire and its 13 neighboring agencies, namely Westlake, Colleyville, Euless, Watauga, Bedford, Hurst, Haltom City, Keller, North Richland Hills, Richland Hills, Southlake, Roanoke, and Trophy Club, stand to benefit from the initiative.
The funds from the grant will be allocated towards Readiness, Response, and Recovery efforts. Readiness focuses on providing education to all fire department members and the department's Peer Teams. The Response aspect involves collaboration with Peer Team members to address the cumulative challenges that firefighters encounter on a daily basis. Lastly, Recovery aims to ensure that fire department members have access to culturally competent clinicians and resources to navigate their mental health issues effectively.