City of Burnet
City Manager
At the April 8 city council meeting, Chief Mark Ingram presented the Burnet Fire Department’s 2024 Annual Report. This report highlights how hard our firefighters and medics work every day to keep our community safe.
Led by Chief Ingram, the Burnet Fire Department includes 37 fulltime and 12 part-time team members. Each is trained to fight fires and respond to medical emergencies. In 2024, they answered 4,838 calls, of which 10% were fire calls and 90% were emergency medical calls, ranging from heart problems and car accidents to mental health crises. The department’s ambulances alone drove over 100,000 miles to get people the help they needed.
The department operates from three main stations: Central, Station 2, and Bertram. Each shift (A, B, and C) shares the workload evenly, ensuring that someone is always ready to respond. The primary fire response area includes the incorporated city limits of Burnet as well as 345 square miles of north-central Burnet County through mutual aid to the Burnet Volunteer Fire Department. In addition, the department provides emergency medical response across a total area of 750 square miles.
The fire department also works closely with volunteer fire departments across Burnet County and with state and regional partners. The Fire Marshal and the Office of Emergency Management lead the city’s fire prevention and disaster preparedness efforts.
In 2024, the department added several pieces of new equipment, including: a new ambulance with advanced life-saving tools; a wildland fire engine for grass and brush fires; a 2,000-gallon water truck; and specialized ATVs for rescues in rough terrain.
In addition to these new assets, the department’s fleet includes a wide range of apparatus designed for rapid response and specialized needs. These include: Engine 1, a 2022 Pierce Enforcer Pumper with a 1,000-gallon water tank and 1,500 GPM pump; Engine 3, a 2023 Pierce FX3 Wildland Pumper with 4x4 capability and integrated foam system; Quint 1, a 100-foot aerial platform with a 2,000 GPM pump; two Type 5 Brush Trucks, each equipped with a 500-gallon water tank for wildland operations; a 2024 Water Tender, carrying 2,000 gallons of water and featuring a remote water turret; fire and EMS ATVs, equipped for off-road rescues and medical response in hardto- reach areas.
The department’s new 2024 Frazier Type 1 ambulance is equipped with state-of-the-art tools, including: a video laryngoscopy for digital airway management; Zoll cardiac monitor for mobile cardiac diagnostic; a Hamilton ventilator to provide advanced respiratory support; an autopulse CPR device for automated, consistent chest compressions.
Each vehicle in the department’s fleet travels about 20,000 miles per year – far more than the average personal vehicle. Crews spend nearly 70% of their time on the road, either responding to or returning from emergencies. In total, the fleet traveled over 236,000 miles in 2024 – the equivalent of circling the globe more than nine times.
We are proud of the Burnet Fire Department and deeply grateful for their service. Their dedication keeps our community safe, day and night.
