Department Divisions

The Emergency Operations Division is the largest and most visible division within the Waco Fire Department, consisting of 212 personnel divided into three 24-hour shifts. Each shift is staffed with a minimum of 56 personnel, managed by two Battalion Chiefs. The Waco Fire Department operates 13 Engine Companies, 3 Truck Companies, 3 ARFF (Airport Rescue and Fire Fighting) Units, and 2 Battalion Chiefs every day of the year. Additionally, the department utilizes auxiliary equipment for special incidents, including 2 boats, 1 jet ski, 3 brush trucks, a regional HazMat truck, and other specialized equipment.

As the largest paid fire department in McLennan County, the Waco Fire Department has 14 fire stations strategically located throughout the City of Waco. These stations ensure a response time of five minutes or less from when Fire Dispatch receives a call. The Emergency Operations Division manages both emergency and non-emergency calls for service, which include fires, medical emergencies, motor vehicle accidents, technical rescues, hazardous materials releases, natural gas leaks, and various other incidents.

The Waco Fire Department collaborates with the Heart of Texas Council of Governments (HOTCOG) to provide regional responses to flood and swift-water rescue situations, as well as staffing the regional Hazardous Materials Response Team. Both teams are staffed daily and can respond to requests in a six-county area outside the City of Waco.

The department has established mutual aid agreements with several surrounding communities and routinely provides assistance when needed. Operations Division personnel also contribute to Community Risk Reduction efforts by educating the public on preventing fires and accidents

Community Risk Reduction (CRR) involves identifying and prioritizing risks, threats, and hazards, followed by implementing and evaluating strategies to mitigate their impact.

The Waco Fire Department’s Community Risk Reduction Branch consists of three key functions that work together to create a synergistic impact: fire prevention, fire investigation, and community outreach/education. This branch is staffed by one Deputy Chief (Fire Marshal), one Captain, three Lieutenants, and one Specialist, all dedicated to the proactive efforts of protecting the community.

The personnel in this division are certified firefighters, fire inspectors, fire investigators, and peace officers, and they ensure compliance with fire and life safety codes for nearly 5,000 businesses.

Fire prevention activities include conducting plan reviews for all new construction or major renovations, performing required inspections, and issuing permits for tank removal, outdoor burning, and pyrotechnics. The team conducts daytime inspections of businesses as well as nighttime inspections of nightclubs and bars to ensure public safety.

Fire investigation efforts involve determining the origin and cause of fire incidents, conducting criminal investigations into arson cases, arresting individuals responsible for setting fires or other fire-related crimes, and providing testimony in court as necessary.

Community outreach and education play a crucial role in our mission to protect the community by promoting fire and life safety awareness among Waco residents. Our staff develops and implements a variety of programs designed to educate both children and adults about fire prevention and safety measures.

Located at 7601 Steinbeck Bend Road, McLennan Community College and the City of Waco have formed a partnership and built the Emergency Services Education Center (ESEC). This 49,000 square foot facility opened in July 2009 and will house the Waco Fire Training Division along with several other agencies. Built adjacent to this state of the art facility, during Phase I of construction, is a 6-story Drill/Burn Tower.

Certified by the Texas Commission on Fire Protection (TCFP), the Training Division provides certification in Structure Firefighting, Aircraft Rescue Firefighting, Hazardous Material Technician, and Instructor I. The Training Division is also certified to deliver all levels of National Incident Management System (NIMS) training for the department.

The Training division develops, delivers, and maintains records of in-service and continuing education for the entire department and meets the requirements set forth under the Insurance Service Office (ISO). Coordinating with outside agencies, the Training Division also delivers Texas Department of Health in-service training and continuing education along with Confined Space Technician training.

Watch a video about our Fire Training Course:

The Communications Division also known as “Dispatch” is staffed 24-hours a day by a minimum of two personnel who answer 9-1-1 calls and make rapid decisions based on the incident information as to which appropriate fire units to send to the emergency. Dispatching of fire units is assisted by use of a Computer Aided Dispatch (CAD) system that recommends the closest and most appropriate units to handle different types of emergencies. The Waco Fire Department stated goal to complete the dispatching process is that “90 percent of emergency alarm processing shall be completed within 64 seconds, and 95 percent of alarm processing shall be completed within 106 seconds.” This means that help is on the way – Fast!

The Waco Fire Dispatch Center is located on the 9th floor of the Waco Police Department building at 3115 Pine Avenue. They operate on an 800MHz frequency. Also, Emergency Management has a backup Early Emergency Alerting System located in the Fire Dispatch Center.

Tips for reporting for reporting an emergency:

1. Remain calm.
2. Identify what your emergency is.
3. Tell the dispatcher where the location of the emergency is and the exact nature of the emergency (example: My car is on fire at 11th and Franklin.)
4. If you are not in danger and time permits, please give a phone number and a name.
5. If it is a structure fire and people are trapped, please tell the dispatcher how many and where they are located. After alerting the emergency crews, wait by the street to wave-down the emergency crews and give them updated information.
6. Never hesitate to call the fire department in the case of an emergency. Time is a factor. A fire can double in size in minutes.
7. Always have your address in at least four inch numbers and/or letters in an unobstructed view to the street.
8. If it is a medical call, please give as much information about the patient(s) to the dispatcher.
9. On any call, if there is any kind of danger that exists with the scene, please tell the dispatcher what the danger is. (Example: The car is hanging on the side of the bridge or people are trapped on the 5th floor and power lines are down in front of the building.)