BEAUMONT, Texas — Beaumont City Council members have approved the purchase of 25 new emergency vehicles for the city.
This purchase includes a firetruck, three emergency medical services (EMS) vehicles and 21 patrol trucks for the Beaumont Police Department.
Beaumont city leaders say the new fleet of vehicles will make sure residents are getting the help they need, quickly and efficiently.
"We have a new fleet that makes sure when those calls come in that we have a new reliable fleet thus leads to good service to the citizens," said Beaumont Fire Chief Earl White.
White is excited for his department to get a new firetruck.
"It's apart of our ongoing replacement program and what happens is our engines, we get 20 years frontline out of them and then we cycle them out," he said.
These new vehicles are costing the city $3.8 million.
Meanwhile Mayor West says the city still needs more firefighters and emergency medical technicians (EMT), upgrading their emergency vehicles is a step in the right direction.
"The safety of our citizens, our residents is certainly most important to us," West said. "I'm excited about where we are now and looking forward and providing the best service we can."
West says the city is currently providing excellent service with EMS at this point in time.
"We are licensed for 9 and their are many days we are running 9 now, which is at our current capacity to be able to do. There was a period of time we weren't able to run that many," West said.
Chief white says it will be a while until the new fire truck is seen on city roads, as they take two to three years to build.
By the time it's complete, the current engine will have reached its 20 year life span.
West also tells 12News he's working with the Beaumont Independent School District to start a new EMT training program in the high schools so student can kickstart their careers sooner rather than later.