Midwest City Fire Department sees rise in calls

Midwest City firefighters responded to 9,220 total calls last year

By Jeff Harrison
Midwest City Beacon

The Midwest City Fire Department reported a significant rise in calls in 2024.

Firefighters responded to 9,220 total emergency calls in 2024, which was 7.9% more than the previous year. The department had 8,486 calls in 2023.

That included 217 fires, which was up slightly from the 206 reported in 2023 and the same as the total in 2022. The 2024 total included 77 residential fires.

The bulk of the calls were for rescue or emergency medical services. The department responded to 6,349 rescue/EMS calls, which represented about 68% of all calls.

Chief Doug Beabout said they need to be able to respond quickly and effectively to all fire calls. He believes the department is properly structured and staffed to meet the city’s needs.

“We watch the call times and make sure we can fulfill our primary mission as a fire department,” he said. “We need to make sure we have the ability to respond in a rapid manner to fire calls.”

The fire department last year started using a new records management and reporting system called First Due. They had used Emergency Reporting in the past, but switched vendors after the company significantly increased its rates.

Beabout has been pleased with the way the system operates on the front end when crews are dispatched and respond to calls, but said it needs improvement on the back end and how data is reported. The previous system provided detailed year-end reports but was lacking on the front end.

“I’m working with the management record system to refine the reporting capabilities of this system to see more details and accuracy,” Beabout said. “These numbers are showing a spike in calls. As a department head, I need to find out what is causing the spike and what resources we need to rearrange to address that.”

Beabout was elevated to chief in November, succeeding Bert Norton who retired. One of Beabout’s top priorities is also pushing the department to respond to calls more quickly. He wants to reduce the “zero impact time,” which is the amount of time between when firefighters receive a call and when they are taking action to mitigate a fire or improving the situation.

“We’re focusing on all of the things that we’re in control of and how we can reduce that time,” he said. “Because that’s another second that we can give a victim.”

That includes things such as improving turnout time in the station, putting on SCBA mask, and stretching the lines.

Midwest City firefighters have also been utilizing a new tool called CyanoKit to help fire victims. CyanoKit treats people who have been exposed to cyanide through smoke inhalation or hazardous materials. The city partnered with SSM Health to have a kit available at all fire scenes.

“It’s an antidote for the poisons in smoke and now they can get it right at the scene and not have to wait until they get to the hospital,” Beabout said.

The fire department has found another new community partner in FireLink Midwest City, a 501c3 non-profit organization. The group is not associated with the fire department but helps connect residents in need with social services.

“FireLink is the bridge between the fire department and DHS and Adult Protective Services,” Beabout said. “That’s a huge crack that people fall into and FireLink is a group that can connect them with services.”

By helping connect people with services, FireLink hopes to see a reduction in the number of 911 calls.