History

PPVFD was established in 1972 at the inception of Pecan Plantation.  It was manned by residents and farm workers and its sole piece of equipment was a water tank mounted on an old US Army truck. 

PPOA filed articles of incorporation for PPVFD and Ambulance Services in 1983.  The original fire department was located at the airport and EMS stored their ambulance and equipment at the tennis court. 

Now both groups operate out of facilities donated by the developer in 1997.  The fire department building was completed in 1997 and the EMS building was completed in 2008.

PPVFD & EMS, INC. TIMELINE

1983
State of Texas Articles of Incorporation as, “PPVFD, INC.”
The PPOA BOD gave us our first by-laws and organizational requirements for a BOD as we were separated from the PPOA BOD. (PPOA felt Emergency Services were a liability)

1986 August
Registered with IRS 501 C (3)

1996
The name changed to PECAN PLANTATION VOLUNTEER FIRE DEPARTMENT AND EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES, INC. as basic volunteer EMS responders were added.

2001
2/27/2001 file 675550-01 State of Texas as a non-profit under a new name; we were incorporated as:
“PECAN PLANTATION VOLUNTEER FIRE DEPARTMENT AND EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES, INC. ” A Non-Profit Corporation. Texas File Number 675550-01

2006
PPVFD & EMS, INC.
WE WERE ORIGINALLY A 501 (C) 3 BUT AMENDED ON ADVICE FROM OUR ACCOUNTING FIRM ON TECHNICALITIES AND TAX PURPOSES TO A 501 (C) 4….C (3)’S ARE USUALLY CHURCHES, ETC. NOT PUBLIC SERVICE PROVIDERS. AS PUBLIC SERVICE PROVIDERS, DONATIONS TO PPVFD & EMS ARE TAX DEDUCTIBLE.

  (We can state…if a contribution or fee is paid, a request can be made from the payor for a tax-exempt number and can be claimed on their taxes as a tax deduction)

2006 – PPEMS
WE BECAME A 911 PROVIDER AND SIGNED A SERVICE AREA CONTRACT WITH PPOA TO RESPOND TO 911 CALLS IN PECAN PLANTATION.

THE TRANSFER TO 911 PROVIDER NECESSITATED, DUE TO TEXAS STATE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH SERVICES RULES, THAT WE HAVE EQUAL OR BETTER SERVICES THAN THE OTHER PROVIDER IN HOOD COUNTY AND THAT WE MAINTAIN EXCELLENT TEXAS STATE ACCREDITATION. THE OTHER PROVIDER IS BLS to ADVANCED MICU…THEREFORE WE ARE MICU! (Basic care to Medical ICU level Care.)
ALL training must support this and the equipment we carry must be maintained on a preventative maintenance schedule. We cannot ever “drop a call” by leaving the area uncovered by choice. If we are away from the area due to multiple 911 calls, we have TexasEMS as our Mutual Aid Provider to come in and respond at that time.

NOTE: Volunteers cannot be depended upon to be on call 24/7/365, paid crewmembers were absolutely required for EMS.

2008
PPVFD & EMS, INC. HAD PPOA MEMBER EMERGENCY SERVICES DUES ($10.00 per property owner per month)
An anonymous donor provided the funds needed to build a new EMS building, which later became the Charlie Lee Memorial EMS Building.