Tensions Rise in Grapevine, TX, as Union Votes No Confidence in All Three Fire Chiefs The ongoing disagreement between the Grapevine Fire Department and members of the Grapevine Professional Firefighters Association took another turn on Friday, Aug. 14 when the union announced its members overwhelmingly voted no confidence in its leaders due to a lack of morale and lack of trust in all three of its chiefs. While the vote has no official bearing on the employment status of the department leaders, it shows a documented record of the union’s lack of confidence in its chiefs. The union has been vocal in recent months about the department’s reallocation plan that moved the department toward an EMS focus. This move led to Engine 1 being shut down and replaced with a squad truck. Union members also say they are concerned that leaders are not listening to their opinion or involving them in decision-making that directly impacts their jobs. Nearly 94% of the Local 3113 union members voted for a no confidence vote for Fire Department Chief Darrell Brown. Assistant Chief Wes Williams received an 87.9% vote of no confidence and Assistant Chief Stuart Grant received an 82.2% vote. The association said in a statement that its members have been raising concerns with the department for two years about its leadership and the direction the department was going in. “During that period, members have raised concerns involving community and firefighter safety, leadership, communication, transparency, accountability, operational decision-making, and other matters affecting the department,” the statement from the association read. “Local 3113 has brought concerns forward through established channels. The Association maintains that many of those concerns have not been adequately addressed.” In addition, the association said that some of its members’ employment has been impacted by documented threats and intimidation due to