April 2017 | Business View Magazine

70 71 Bedford, Texas reading program - putting in automatic me- ter reading devices. They’ll track and tabulate consumption and usage much better, so we don’t waste water. That was a key component to getting the grant. I conduct residential meet- ings quarterly in the community and one of the topics will be to introduce information about that program so that everybody can get on board and understand how it works and how to get access. By the spring of next year, we’ll have it all completed.” Finally, Griffin relates that Bedford has be- come the first city in the nation to provide an ONCOblot blood test for its firefighters to de- tect early signs of cancer. “This company can test the blood for 26 different cancer markers. And what we’ve learned over this process is that firefighters, in general, have a much higher propensity to acquire cancer because of the ma- terials they come in contact with when they’re fighting a fire – all the carcinogens in the air when things are burning.We had a firefighter Preferred vendor n Hurst-Euless-Bedford ISD www.hebisd.edu Hurst-Euless-Bedford Independent School District’s mis- sion is to continue its tradition of excellence as a diverse, high-performing organization. Students graduate with the tools necessary to meet the standards of many prestigious universities in the coun- try and the skills necessary for a head start in today’s job market. Students don’t have to leave their friends to participate in an elite academic setting, because the most advanced academic curriculum possible – the International Baccalau- reate diploma program – is offered at both high schools. Through its long-term strategic plan, the district and its board members are prepared to meet and exceed any challenges in order to continue to empower students today to excel tomorrow. in our department that we lost to cancer, late last year. So, it was important for us to figure out if there was something more we could be doing.We investigated this company and a couple of months ago we became the first in the nation to provide that test. Our start date is still to be determined but once we do, everyone will get tested; they’ll provide the results and we’ll retest every five years so that the firefighters can track and see if anything has changed. And as we get new firefighters, we’ll start them on the process, and so forth.” Once almost all but abandoned, today Bed- ford, Texas is a friendly and thriving commu- nity known for its good quality of life, and a deep concern for its residents. Life is good in Bedford, so stop by and “Discover the Center!”