Beaumont Fire Rescue Chief Anne Huff says she is stepping down after 31 years of serving the city by fighting fires at Beaumont homes.
Huff is the first female fire chief in Beaumont’s history.
“I wanted to do everything that I possibly could do. Institute everything I possibly could, influence as much as I possibly could to make the department be the best that it could be.” Said Huff.
The 57-year-old mother graduated from Lamar University with multiple degrees in education and business.
Huff started as a firefighter in 1986 and worked her way to become chief in 2008.
She explained some believed she was not capable of taking the title which influenced her to keep on going.
“It just gave me the resolve to say well maybe it will never happen. But, I’m going to be the most capable qualified person for the job and whether I get it or not, I will know in my heart that I’ve done everything I can to be able to do the job to the best of my ability.”
Hung in her office, a frame of Albert Einstein with the caption “Ingenious Solutions” a message she spread throughout the years to her firefighters, men and women.
“Goals of that, for me, have been to build up our officers so that they are the best officers that they can be because that’s the leadership and the leaders have to know how to lead, stand up, and lead.”
Huff’s last day with the department is January 2nd, 2018. She plans on working on her home and traveling abroad and within the U.S.