The FETN Family: Beaumont Fire Department, Beaumont, TX

Provide a brief description of your department and the community you serve.

Beaumont Fire/Rescue Services is a fully paid department with currently 226 personnel. We operate out of 12 fire stations with 11 engines and one quint. We also have two ladder trucks, one snorkel truck, and an Air truck which carries a large fan for positive ventilation and a cascade system. Each shift is supervised by a Deputy Fire Chief and three District Fire Chiefs.

Fire Headquarters contains the Fire Administration Division, Fire Prevention & Investigation Division, Supply Office, and Fire Dispatch. The State Fire Museum for the State of Texas is also located within our Fire Headquarters building. There is a 24 foot tall fire hydrant in front of our building in the middle of a memorial plaza.

The Training Division is located at our local fire training facility. The Department also operates a Hazardous Material Response Team and a Dive Rescue Team.

Beaumont has a population of 113,000 and covers 85 square miles. In 2006, our department answered over 15,000 calls for service.

Please tell us some of the challenges you face and the accomplishments of your department.

Our city has a heavy traffic flow with Interstate 10 running through the center. We are bordered on the east side by a river. Beaumont has several large petrochemical facilities, a state prison complex, and a federal prison complex near our city limits.

Beaumont Fire/Rescue is a member of one of the first Mutual Aid organizations in the nation. The Sabine Neches Chiefs Association was formed in 1949 and brings together fire departments, police departments, and private industries in a three county area to provide mutual aid support in emergency situations.

Our personnel try to train for an "all hazards" type approach to our responses. It is a challenge at times to adequately prepare our personnel for such diverse hazards while balancing regulatory compliance with competency-based needs.

What makes your department stand out in your community? Describe the community service activities provided by your department.

Our department is the largest fire department in the three county area that is known as the Golden Triangle of Texas. We provide public education programs throughout the community in a variety of settings, including businesses, citizen groups, and public activities.

We have a Fire Safety Trailer that we use at schools and large public functions for children's programs. We also have a similar Safety House built into the Fire Museum for museum visitors. It is located along with several other displays used to teach Fire Safety to children.

The 24 foot fire hydrant mentioned above was built by Disney when they re-released the movie "101 Dalmations" in 1999. Our department participated in the event that was broadcast world-wide. The hydrant then became the focal point of our firefighter memorial plaza.

Describe your department's training activities and the role you see FETN plays.

Our monthly training activities include a balance of knowledge based and hands-on activities. We post monthly training requirements by rank and indicate classes and activities which personnel are required to complete. These include hands-on benchmark evaluations as well as special classes or drills.

We utilize the DVOD component of the FETN on-line system for up-to-date, knowledge based training classes. We also provide satellite capability at each fire station in order to provide our officers every opportunity to stay current with fire service news and specials. This year we added the Course Creation Tool capability. We are planning to use this tool to deliver the knowledge based portion of the Texas Commission of Fire Protection approved certification courses to our personnel.

Any additional news you would like to share with the readers of FETN E-News?

Several members of our department have formed a Fire Department Gumbo Cooking Team which has won several awards in local cooking contests. We also have a Firehouse Band that plays at different charity functions and parades.

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