Frisco hub administers over 69K doses before closing

FRISCO, TX – More than 69,000 doses.

That’s how many vaccines were administered at the City of Frisco’s vaccine hub, which closed its doors April 15 after opening in February.

A Frisco paramedic administered the ‘last public shot’ to Javier Gonzalez of Garland yesterday evening. Gonzalez’s second Pfizer dose marked the 69,296th shot administered at the site, which operated in vacant retail space at Stonebriar Centre.

“I am so proud of all the members of our department, and the city, who provided this life saving vaccine,” Frisco Fire Chief Mark Piland said. “The establishment of our clinic was life changing for our community and Texans throughout the state.”

More than 700 city employees, including 111 firefighter-paramedics, collaborated to run the vaccine clinic.

Since opening its doors Feb. 2, city employees worked more than 6,700 hours over the 24 days the site was open.

“I’m amazed how great a job our team did to take on the vaccine clinic,” Frisco City Manager George Purefoy said. “It was a great location and a great venue, and we’re very appreciative of our partnership with Stonebriar Centre. Our employees created a friendly environment, one in which people were treated with care and respect.”

Frisco’s vaccine clinic enlisted help from several partners. Two dozen Frisco Independent School District (FISD) employees volunteered at the clinic and in a call center over spring break, answering questions from callers and returning emails. The Texas Army National Guard assigned a total of 47 troops to Frisco’s site. Troops filled a variety of positions, including everything from greeting patients at the door to administering shots. A couple of area nurses volunteered their time, too.

‘Well-run’, ‘organized’ and ‘efficient’ are words many patients used to describe their ‘Frisco vaccine experience’. The Toyota Production System Support Center loaned Frisco four of its team members, who volunteered to help improve processes.

“We were able to improve our efficiencies using tips from our friends at Toyota,” said Jake Owen, Battalion Chief with the Frisco Fire Department. “They studied and observed our workflow, daily. Our best time achieved was 18 minutes, per patient, which included a 15-minute observation period after patients received their vaccine.”

“The past year required all of us to do our part,” Mayor Jeff Cheney said. “We were willing and ready to help as many people as we could to get vaccines as efficiently as we could. Our city council is so proud of our employees, who represented all departments, and worked together to stand up this facility. They performed a great service to our residents and others throughout our region.”

People still seeking a vaccine can find resources at the Texas Department of State Health Services website at www.dshs.texas.gov/covidvaccine