Last week the Rotary Club of Beaumont recognized the Beaumont Fire & EMT Department for all they do for the citizens of Beaumont. The program began with the fire department’s bagpipe and color guard posting the colors. After the pledge, invocation and Rotary business, Arne Almquist, who chaired the committee that organized this event, introduced the Chief of the department, Earl White. Chief White spoke about the mission of his department which is to provide prompt, quality community services with the highest level of professionalism. He said the department’s pledge is service above self.

He also said one of his highest priorities is the physical and mental well-being of his people. The Fire and EMT Department is on call twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days of the year. He wants his people to arrive safe and go home safe. He then shared that one of the people he admires most is Admiral William McRaven, who oversaw Seal Team 6 that found and eliminated Osama Bin Laden. Admiral McRaven believed in several key principles for good leadership, one of which was to know his people. Chief White makes it a priority to know his people. Always setting a good example was another priority of the admiral. Chief White is focused on his accountability to his people and how he presents himself in his appearance and actions. Still another characteristic of the admiral was to allow his people room to maneuver. Things are going to happen that are unexpected. He allows his people to own the problems that arise and figure out the solution. If he does not, he believes they will never learn from their mistakes. He pledged to his people that he will do his best to provide the equipment and training to do their job. He ended by saying that he appreciates what his people do every day, and he loves them.

Rotarians Kevin Reed and Robert Kocot volunteered to spend a day riding with the fire department and shared their experiences. They shared everything from meals with the firefighters in their stations which they prepare themselves to going out on calls with the units to fires, accidents, and medical emergencies. The stations average nine to ten calls per shift. There are roughly 285 workers between the firefighters and EMS personnel. They keep the machines exceptionally clean and in good working order, checking out the equipment on the trucks frequently. There are twelve engines, two ladder trucks, four chief cars, nine bed trucks and numerous other vehicles to meet the multitude of emergencies the fire department is charged with handling. All of the personnel must be trained to handle two to three of the duties in each unit. The average truck has 750 lbs. of tank water. Every engine has a device used for cardiac arrest and a jaw of life used in vehicle accidents to free trapped individuals. Fire Stations are required to have three minutes of traveling distance to another station. As of our meeting the department has responded to 2083 calls year-to-date. After spending this time with the department, they felt impressed, inspired, and much safer. The only need the firefighters expressed was Gatorade during the summer.

Next was the award ceremony in which one EMS individual received an award for courage for fighting back from an injury sustained after stopping for an accident on the Purple Heart bridge. He was struck by a vehicle and hospitalized. After a lengthy period of rehabilitation, his primary focus was to get back to work. While he was unable to return to EMS responsibilities, he is back at work with the department after a long, hard road.

The other reward was given to a full engine unit that went above and beyond the call of duty. The men helped an elderly lady and her granddaughter in their home and realized they had very little in the home to handle even basic needs. They took up a collection, went shopping and bought the ladies things to give them a good start. That was definitely beyond their call of duty and the recognition was well deserved.

Finally, our club gave a check from our own Foundation to the Fire Department’s Bereavement Fund in the amount of $1000 which was presented to Chief White. We should be proud and thankful to have such a fine group of professionals on call twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year to handle fire, accident, and medical emergencies, and we should all feel safer knowing they are there for us.