08/14/2026
A Message from Grapevine City Manager Bruno Rumbelow -
The City of Grapevine has long made public safety one of its highest priorities, and the result is a Fire Department that I would put up against any in Texas. That excellence comes from sustained investment by our community and strong, experienced leadership.
Our record of exceptional emergency response reflects the quality of the leadership behind it. Fire Chief Darrell Brown and Assistant Chiefs Stuart Grant and Wes Williams have my full and unequivocal support.
Chief Brown has devoted over four decades to the fire service and has led the Grapevine Fire Department since 2014. In my experience, he is one of the finest fire chiefs in the profession. He is a man of integrity, an exceptional leader, and a tireless advocate for the firefighters and paramedics he leads.
The record speaks for itself. Under Chief Brown and his leadership team, Grapevine has replaced two fire stations, remodeled two others, and invested more than $8 million in fire apparatus in the past four years alone. We have added a fourth ambulance to meet growing emergency demand while maintaining competitive salaries and providing what we believe are among the best employee benefits in the Metroplex.
Each of these actions has made every part of Grapevine safer.
Chief Brown is supported by two highly experienced assistant chiefs. Stuart Grant began his career with Dallas Fire-Rescue in 1979 and rose to Special Operations Chief before joining Grapevine in 2014. Wes Williams has devoted his entire career to Grapevine, joining the department in 2001 and rising through the ranks before becoming Assistant Chief in 2023.
There is currently disagreement among some members of the department over resource allocation decisions made by this leadership team. Disagreement is part of any organization, and employees have appropriate avenues to express their concerns.
What I find deeply disappointing is the decision by some to take those disagreements public and engage in personal and unprofessional attacks against Chief Brown and his leadership team.
Instead of focusing their energy on the work that has made this department great – serving our residents, protecting families and working together as professionals – they have chosen to publicly malign a chief who has spent his career advocating for firefighters and building one of the finest fire departments in Texas.
That is not constructive, and it is not representative of the professionalism I expect from the men and women of the Grapevine Fire Department.
Leadership requires making difficult decisions. Resources are not unlimited, and Chief Brown and his team must balance staffing, equipment, emergency response demands, taxpayer resources and the safety of our firefighters and residents.
I know every decision will not be popular. But good leadership is not measured by whether every decision is popular, but rather measured by whether those decisions are made responsibly, professionally, and in the best interests of the community.
I know these chiefs. I know their records and their character. I know what they have accomplished for this city, and I know how deeply they care about the men and women they lead.
Our firefighters and paramedics are among the finest anywhere. I want their attention focused on what matters most: serving this community, protecting our families and continuing the tradition of excellence that generations of Grapevine firefighters have built.
Chief Brown, Chief Grant, and Chief Williams have my complete confidence and wholehearted support.
Bruno Rumbelow
City Manager
