Following a career with the City of DeKalb that lasted close to a quarter century, one of the city’s most enduring public servants, Paula Booth, has retired from public office.
Paula first started working for the City of DeKalb back in 1999, beginning her many years of service to the people of DeKalb at the time of one of its most historic days, the May 3, 1999 tornado.
She left briefly to work for Justice of the Peace Gerold Rankin, but after two years with the JP’s office returned to City Hall and to serving the people of the town she devoted her life to serving.
Over the course of the last two decades, Paula has served in many roles for the city, such as Assisting the City Secretary, Water Office, and as a dispatcher for both the police department and the DeKalb Volunteer Fire Department. For the DVFD she took care of the Fire Departments payouts for the fire calls that they went on. She also entered their calls into their software and entered all grass/ house fires to the Texas Forest Service. She also served the DeKalb Municipal Court and the Public Works department.
Since 2006, Paula served as the Court Clerk for the City of De Kalb. She says, “I had the pleasure of working for Judge Joni Haldeman. And, in February 2012, I was appointed as the Alternate Judge as well. I received levels 1 & 2 for Certified Court Clerk.”
A versatile, hard working person, along with her duties for the city, she has been a member of the De Kalb Fire Department since October 19, 2008, working both as their dispatcher and secretary. She notes, “Through the years I taken many classes and hold a FEMA student Identification number of 0003866324. I have completed IS-700 & 100 certificates. I have taken the following courses through TEEXs: Courage to Be Safe, Life Net Air Landing Zone Safety Course, and have many hours for Administration as I worked with the TEEX coordinator during the classes that BCFFA have held. Also, Incident Safety Officer, Recognition & Identification of Hazardous Materials, Vehicle Extrication and GPS. Through Texarkana College I have completed the Emer-gency Medical Responder/ Emergency Care Attendant Course. I also have certification for S-190/S-130 Wildland Firefighter. Through Texas A&M Engineering Extension office I hold a certificate for Safe Practices for Traffic Incident Responders- SHRP2.”
Needless to say, Paula has been an integral part of the DVFD’s growth over the last 20 years and has always been on the scene whenever the firefighters were called out for housefires, wrecks or grassfires, and to assist the firefighters with whatever they may need on the scene or at the station. She goes on to say, “ I am there to help the firemen as needed. The rest of the time I am their point of contact as dispatcher to get any help that they need while they are in the field. I also take care of how many calls each firefighter makes and then determine the amount to be allocated to each one per every 3 months.”
Booth has also served as the Secretary/Treasurer for Bowie County Firefighter Association since 2007 to present date. The BCFFA held meetings at different department each month within Bowie County.
Jana Ford said of Paula, “I have worked with her on Keep DeKalb Beautiful and Oktoberfest and she is a joy to work with. She is one of those people that when they say they are going to do something, you don’t have to worry about it getting done. She is just a wonderful person and I have worked with her for years and she has always been here and has always done good work for the people of DeKalb.”
The list of roles that Booth has filled over the years does not stop there.
She has also spent many hours watching the skies and protecting the people of DeKalb from incoming weather. She has gone through SKYWARN training and takes the weather very seriously when it comes to warning citizens of impending dangerous weather. She says, “I watch the weather for the De Kalb area when we are under Tornado Watches and Warnings. Once our city is under either one of these watches our shelter is open for anyone to seek shelter during these times. I communicate with National Weather Service via internet and to the Shreveport NWS inside a chat room. As the fire department members are watching for tornado activities, downed powerlines, trees, and hail, I then report that information to them. This information will help them to upgrade or downgrade the event. I also watch the radar to see if there are any possible tornadoes in our area. And, confirm what I may see with the NWS.”
And the list does not stop with the weather. Paula has also been a member of Keep De Kalb Beautiful and recalls, “My husband, Benny Booth, and I, would water the new crepe myrtle trees that KDB had planted, by using one of the Fire Department trucks weekly… until they were good to grow on their own. He was also a member of the fire department here in De Kalb until he retired.”
To round out the long list of activities Paula was a part in since she began working for the City of DeKalb, she was also active with the Cub Scouts, Mighty De Kalb High School Band and a Sunday school teacher.
Paula says to the people of DeKalb, “Since Benny passed away in 2020, it is time for my life to go forward. I will be getting married to Randy this July. We’ve known each other since 9th grade and graduated in 1981. I have loved De Kalb all my life. Being raised up as a NAVY Military Brat….. and coming to visit my grandparents, that lived in Annona, once a year. And, I always got to stay one night with my Aunt Jiggs. That was the highlight for me. I have loved this little town for many years before I even met and married Benny Booth in 1983 and moved here. . We had three children together, Anthony, Zack and Brandi. They were all fortunate to go to and grow up in one school. De Kalb will always be my home. (even if I was not born and raised here).”
