Fire Suppression Division
The McAllen Fire Department responded
to 4,721 alarms. McAllen Fire
Department Airport Apparatus
responded to 22 Airport Alerts. McAllen
Fire Department had a Property Loss
percentage of 28.33%
Prevention Division
The Fire Prevention Division conducted
plan reviews, approved and inspected all
fire protection systems for new buildings,
inspected existing buildings for fire code
violations; attended plan and subdivision
review meetings, and investigated code
violation complaints.
New personnel in the Fire Prevention
Division, three Fire Prevention Officers
assigned to operations shift hours, which
means that a Fire Investigator/Fire
Inspector is on duty 24 hours a day.
Training Division
Our firefighters are required to complete
(20) hours of State continuing education
per year in order to maintain their
certification. Training is completed
through the use of video and hands on
training.
The firefighters stationed at the McAllen-
Miller International Airport complete their
continuous education through classroom
education and live aircraft fire drills.
The McAllen Fire Department
recognizes that progressive training is a
vital tool to insure the safety to life and
property for our citizens and we strive
for the best training possible for our
firefighters.
Upcoming training events for 2008
include Training through the Governor’s
Division of Emergency Management and
TEEX, Texas Engineering Extension
Service, and Mutual Aid.
Administrative Support
The Administrative Support Division manages fire
department non-personnel resources that include
procurement, fleet services, facilities, and
equipment maintenance. Division full-time personnel
are on Deputy Chief, one Captain, and three clerks.
The total annual fire department budget allocation
exceeded $13 million.
McAllen operates one of the most modern fire
protection fleets in South Texas, comprised of fortyeight
vehicles, twenty-seven of which are emergency
response units. Recent acquisitions include two new
fire attack pumpers. Future acquisitions of
emergency vehicles include a wildland brush unit, an
airport rescue fire truck, and the refurbishing of an
aerial fire truck. The division sees that maintenance
and replacement schedules provide the allocated fire
protection coverage for the City.
The division also provides support services to facility
usage of six fire stations, fire training and fire
prevention center, and a training drill field. These are
strategically located in various areas of the city. A
computer system links all stations to facilitate
requests for services and to serve as a
communication tool. In 2005-2006, the city
completed a fire department study that showed the
need for two additional stations, the renovation of
two fire stations, and the relocation of Central Fire
Station and Emergency Operations Center. The
relocation of the new Central Fire Station and
Emergency Operations Center is scheduled for
completion, May 2008.