Fire Department

On behalf of the 229 members of our firefighting family, welcome to the Waco Fire Department.

Whether you’re a lifelong resident, new to our city, or just passing through, I want you to know that your safety is our highest priority. The men and women of Waco Fire are among the most skilled, dedicated, and compassionate professionals you’ll find anywhere. Every day, they bring a servant’s heart to the job—responding to emergencies, training relentlessly, and showing up for this community with courage, humility, and purpose.

We are proud to be recognized as one of the state's most effective and trusted fire and rescue services. From structure fires and medical calls to technical rescues, hazardous materials incidents, and community risk reduction efforts, our mission is to serve you and your family with excellence - any time, anywhere.

As your Fire Chief, I believe in servant leadership—leading by example, supporting our people, and building a culture of integrity, teamwork, and continuous improvement. We are more than a department; we are a family, unified in purpose and devoted to protecting this community we proudly call home.

The men and women of Waco Fire are here for you 24/7, not just when emergencies happen but as partners in safety, education, and service. I am honored to lead this outstanding group of professionals and grateful for your trust in us every day.

Stay safe,

Robby Bergerson
Interim Fire Chief
Waco Fire Department

A true customer service organization, the Waco Fire Department responds to well over 21,000 calls for service per year. Calls include structure fires, vehicle fires, grass/brush fires, auto extrication, water rescues, medical emergencies, hazardous material situations and other emergencies.

Additionally, the department responds to non-emergency calls which include animal rescues, water evacuation and many other service calls when the citizen cannot find help from other resources.

The Waco Fire Department participates in Regional Technical Rescue and Hazardous Materials Response Team agreements with surrounding counties and is part of the Texas Intrastate Fire Mutual Aid System (TIFMAS) assisting with statewide disasters and wildfires.

Our Mission: Promoting Safety, Protecting Life & Property Everyday
Our Motto: We exist to serve

The City of Waco achieved an ISO Class 1 PPC rating from ISO (Insurance Services Office) & the Texas State Fire Marshal's Office in February 2020. The Class 1 rating is the highest possible score that can be given to any fire department nationwide and is also based on an outstanding water system. Less than one percent of the more than 47,000 cities in the country have earned this rating. Waco citizens should remind their insurance company at the time of renewal of the ISO rating to see if it results in cost savings on their home insurance policy.

Fire departments across the nation are rated by the ISO to determine a Public Protection Classification (PPC) for individual cities or counties. This rating is published by the ISO and used by insurance companies to determine insurance rates. The ISO Schedule develops a PPC number on a relative scale from 1 to 10, with 1 being the very best and 10 representing less than minimum recognized fire protection. Most U.S. insurers of homes and business property use the PPC in calculating premiums. In general, the price of fire insurance in a community with a good PPC is substantially lower than in a community with a poor PPC.

When the ISO evaluates a fire department's capabilities it uses a system called the Fire Suppression Rating Schedule (FSRS) which employs nationally accepted standards developed by such organizations as the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), the American Water Works Association (AWWA) and the Association of Public Safety Communications Officials (APCO) International. The FSRS considers three main areas of a community's fire suppression capabilities including emergency communications (911 call center), the fire department, and water supply. In addition, it includes a Community Risk Reduction section that recognizes community efforts to reduce losses through fire prevention, public fire safety education and fire investigation.

Key elements considered when evaluating a fire department include response capabilities (deployment analysis) which includes adequate staffing of fire service personnel on engine crews and ladder companies, fire station distribution (location and coverage), appropriate apparatus and equipment, training, water supplies, organizational structure, communications and building/fire prevention codes and their enforcement.

The City of Waco Fire Department's ability to earn the rating of a Class 1 is a reflection of the City of Waco's commitment to provide quality public safety services to the citizens, businesses and visitors of our community.

We feel that our fire stations are our second home and a vital part of our local neighborhoods. With the Fire House to Your House program, we hope that pets are reunited with their owners, as most pets don't stray far from home.

Steps for Scanning

1. Locate your nearest fire station.
2. Take the animal by to be scanned to see if a microchip is found.
   • Have patience if firefighters are not at the station, calls for emergency service do come first.
3. If a chip is found, firefighters will give the resident instructions on finding the owner by the microchip number.
4. Microchip Lookup Tool

Rules & Requirements

• The Waco Fire Department scans pets from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. (Please remember, their primary duty is being a first responder to our community, so availability may vary.)
• The person who found the pet is responsible for finding the owner and/or other next steps.
• Animals cannot be left at any Waco Fire Station.
• Waco Fire reserves the right to refuse scans of aggressive animals.
• Deceased animals will not be scanned.
• For information on the disposal of dead animals, please contact Solid Waste at (254) 299-2612 during business hours. They can also be placed at the curb, bagged and will be safely picked up during trash collection.
• To surrender an animal to Pet Circle Regional Animal Center, the Fire House to Your House Resident Form must be signed by Waco Fire personnel to be valid and presented to the Animal Center with proof of Waco residency.
• See all Waco fire station locations.
  • Please direct any additional questions to Animal Control at (254) 750-1765 during business hours. Leave a voicemail if needed. Calls are returned promptly.

Reminder: Waco residents can qualify for free microchips. Call (254) 750-7099 for information.

Alternatives to Animal Surrender

• Help us keep stray animals out of the shelter! There are ways to locate the owner of animals with no microchip.
  • Helpful ways to avoid surrender.
• Use social media to post pictures (give good details: location found, markings on animal, size, etc.)
• For every animal we keep out of the shelter, we have space for more to find loving homes!

Fire House to Your House PSA

• 2024 (coming soon)
• 2023(PDF, 6MB)
• 2022(PDF, 1MB)