Sparta Fire / Rescue

09/29/2026

Please join me in congratulating Assistant Chief Robert D. “Rob” Dittman, Esq., on earning his National Registry Emergency Medical Technician certification. Rob Dittman serves as Chief Legal Officer for Sparta Fire Rescue and holds the administrative rank of Assistant Chief. In this role, he advises department leadership on legal matters and supports the policies and decisions that guide our organization. We believe Rob may be the first blind man to reach this milestone, and I hope the National Registry will help us confirm that distinction.

Rob’s path to this moment has been remarkable. He built a career as a Texas attorney, served as a U.S. Coast Guard legal assistance attorney, and took on public safety leadership, investigations, and training. He had already become a wildland firefighter and a nationally registered Emergency Medical Responder before setting his sights on EMT certification. But a list of credentials only tells part of his story. Rob brings his knowledge and determination to the work of helping people.

When Rob first came to me and asked for an opportunity at Sparta Fire Rescue, I’ll be honest: I wasn’t sure how a blind member would fit into a fire department. I had questions about what responsibilities he could take on, and I needed to work through them. Rob asked me to give him a chance to show us what he could do. I did, and he has earned that chance many times over.

I’ve watched him learn, adapt, and keep going when the path was difficult. I’ve watched him contribute to this department as a teammate and leader. Earning this certification took the same work and commitment we ask of anyone pursuing the EMT credential. Rob put in that work.

This achievement belongs to Rob. It also reminds me of something I’ll carry forward as his chief: when someone asks for an opportunity, my job is to take that request seriously and judge them by what they do with it.

Rob, I’m proud to serve alongside you. Congratulations on becoming a Nationally Registered EMT. Your Sparta Fire Rescue family is proud of you.

Pictured below left to right: FF/EMR/Engineer K. Dittman, Mary Dittman (Baby Girl), Assistant Chief, CLO Robert D. Dittman, Fire Chief Robert Hadrick III

08/25/2026

🚒❤️ COME FILL THE HELMET WITH US! ❤️🚒

Sparta Fire Rescue is gearing up for our Fill the Helmet fundraiser and we’d love to see our community come out, grab some breakfast or lunch and help support your local firefighters!

Join us September 4th, 5th & 6th at the intersection of Sparta Road & FM 439.

🌮 Breakfast tacos | 8–10 AM
🌭 Sausage wraps | 11 AM–6 PM
☕ Coffee | $2
🥤 Drinks | $2
🌭 2 sausage wraps for $5
🌮 3 breakfast tacos for $10

Whether you stop by for breakfast, grab lunch for the crew at work or just toss a little something into the helmet, every bit of support means so much to us. ❤️

We’re proud to serve this community and fundraisers like this help us continue doing what we do. Come say hi, grab some good food and help us !

Thank you for always supporting Sparta Fire/Rescue and the people who volunteer their time to serve our community. We truly appreciate y’all! ❤️🖤

08/01/2026

💧🔥 Hydration never looked this good.

A huge thank you to DripDrop and National Volunteer Fire Council for including Sparta Fire/Rescue in the 2026 DripDrop Hydration Giveback Campaign!

Whether we’re training, responding to emergencies, or working in the Texas heat, staying hydrated is essential to keeping our firefighters and EMS personnel healthy, safe, and ready to answer the call.

This generous donation of DripDrop electrolyte drink mix will help keep our crews hydrated so they can continue serving our community when it matters most.

We truly appreciate your support of volunteer first responders and the communities we proudly serve. Thank you for helping us stay response-ready! 🚒💙

07/26/2026

👕🎒 BACK-TO-SCHOOL CLOTHING SWAP! 🎒👕

Sparta Fire and Rescue is proud to host a FREE Community Clothing Swap to help local families get ready for the new school year!

📅 Saturday, August 1, 2026
🕒 3:00 PM – 8:00 PM
📍 Sparta Fire and Rescue
6308 Sparta Rd.
Belton, TX 76513

Bring clean, gently used clothing and shoes—or simply come shop for what your family needs. This is not an item-for-item exchange, so everyone is welcome! Take what you need and leave what you can.

Accepted Items:
✅ Clean, gently used clothing (toddler through young adult)
✅ Shoes
✅ Winter coats
✅ Socks and underwear (new or in excellent condition)

Please Note:
❌ No jewelry
❌ No accessories
❌ No baby items
❌ No household goods

Any clothing remaining after the event will be donated to organizations that support children in foster care and families in crisis.

🛍️ Shopping bags will be provided!

Help us spread the word by sharing this post. Together, we can make sure every child starts the school year with confidence.

❤️ Together, we can make a difference in our community!

07/09/2026

🚨TRAFFIC ALERT 🚨

07/02/2026

🚨 June 2026 Response Performance Report 🚒

At Sparta Fire Rescue, every second matters. When someone calls 9-1-1, our volunteers answer the call—day or night.

During the month of June, our firefighters responded to 48 emergency incidents, including cardiac arrest, vehicle fires, traffic crashes, breathing emergencies, wildland fires, falls, and other critical calls throughout our district.

📊 Our Average Response Times

🚑 Priority 1 (Life-Threatening Emergencies): 5 minutes, 43 seconds

🚑 Priority 2: 6 minutes, 15 seconds

🚑 Priority 3: 7 minutes, 26 seconds

🚒 Overall Department Average: 6 minutes, 24 seconds

How does that compare?

The NFPA 1720 standard provides response performance objectives for volunteer fire departments. For many volunteer departments serving rural and suburban communities, the benchmark is to assemble the appropriate number of firefighters and arrive within approximately 9 to 14 minutes, depending on population density, staffing goals, and travel distance.

With an overall average response time of 6 minutes and 24 seconds, Sparta Fire Rescue is responding significantly faster than those commonly referenced volunteer response objectives.

While no single response-time number determines compliance with NFPA 1720 because staffing levels, turnout times, travel distance, and effective response force all factor into the standard our June performance demonstrates the dedication of our volunteers and our commitment to providing rapid emergency service to the citizens we serve.

❤️ None of this would be possible without our volunteer firefighters, the support of our community, and the partnerships we share with neighboring agencies.

As we continue working toward improved staffing, enhanced training, and modern apparatus, our goal remains the same:

To provide the fastest, safest, and highest-quality emergency response possible when our community needs us most.

07/02/2026

🔥 TRAINING NOTICE – LIVE FIRE TRAINING TONIGHT 🔥

This evening, Sparta Fire Rescue will be conducting a live-fire training exercise using our Connex burn container.

If you see smoke or emergency vehicles in the area, there is no need for alarm. This is a planned training event designed to provide our firefighters with realistic, hands-on experience in a controlled environment.

Training like this allows our volunteers to practice:
• Fire attack techniques
• Search and rescue operations
• Crew communication
• Fire behavior recognition
• Safe and effective incident operations

Regular live-fire training is essential to ensuring our firefighters are prepared to protect the lives and property of those we serve when real emergencies occur.

We appreciate your understanding and continued support as we invest in the training that keeps both our firefighters and our community safe.

Sparta Fire Rescue
Training today. Ready tomorrow. Serving always. 🚒🔥

06/30/2026

Ready to take the next step in your fire service leadership journey?

Register today for the 2026 Fall Fire Chiefs Academy in San Marcos, Texas, October 12–16.

The Texas Fire Chiefs Academy is designed for current fire chiefs and aspiring chiefs seeking advanced leadership development. Upon completion of Year 2 training, participants earn the prestigious Certified Fire Executive (CFE) designation.

📍 Embassy Suites by Hilton San Marcos Hotel Conference Center
👥 Limited to 75 attendees per class
🎓 Year 1 and Year 2 courses available

Important deadlines begin July 31, and registration will only be open for a limited time due to assignment requirements.

Don't miss this opportunity to invest in your professional growth and connect with fire service leaders from across Texas.

Learn more and register today: https://www.txfirechiefs.org/texas-fire-chiefs-academy

06/27/2026

Training Never Stops. Neither Does Our Commitment.

Today, the members of Sparta Fire Rescue completed their annual American Heart Association (AHA) Basic Life Support (BLS) Healthcare Provider recertification.

This isn’t just another class to check a box—it’s a commitment to the people we serve. BLS skills are the foundation of emergency medical care, ensuring our firefighters are prepared to deliver high-quality CPR, operate an AED, manage airways, and provide life-saving care during those critical first moments when every second matters.

Medical emergencies don’t wait, and neither do we. Whether it’s a cardiac arrest, choking child, overdose, traumatic injury, or other life-threatening emergency, our firefighters continually train to maintain the knowledge, confidence, and muscle memory needed to perform when lives are on the line.

As a volunteer department, our members dedicate countless hours away from their families, careers, and personal lives to train and serve this community. That dedication reflects our promise to provide professional, compassionate, and competent care whenever you call for help.

At Sparta Fire Rescue, we believe our community deserves responders who never stop learning and never stop improving.

Thank you to our firefighters for their continued commitment to excellence and to the citizens of our community for your trust and support. We are honored to serve you—24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

Train Today. Serve Tomorrow. Save Lives.

06/26/2026