Ted Martin
Fire Chief

Jan Denega
Administrative Assistant
Branson Fire & Rescue
110 Crosby St.
Branson, Mo 65616
417-243-2790
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Organizational Chart
2010 Annual Report

Branson Fire & Rescue

Mission Statement
Our Mission is to provide high quality, cost effective fire-rescue operations, risk reduction services, and emergency preparedness to the Branson Community; guided by the principles of teamwork and professionalism.

Vision Statement
Our Vision is to obtain an ISO 3 Classification.

The History of Branson Fire Department
Branson Fire Department was organized in the early 1900's. In 1927 we obtained our first piece of motorized apparatus (see photo below). In the mid 1950's a Rural Fire Service was established. This became known as Branson/Rockaway Fire Protection District. The years passed and the responsibilities for both the City and the District got larger. We then split into two separate departments which are known today as Western Taney County Fire Protection District and Branson Fire Department (Branson Fire & Rescue).

The Branson Fire Department was a completely volunteer department until 1993 when six career personnel were hired. In 1995 an additional three personnel were hired. In late 1996 Station #2 opened with nine more personnel hired. In 1999 Station #3 opened with nine more personnel hired. At this time we have a Station #4 being proposed to open soon.

In 1912 Branson caught fire and virtually all of the city burned to the ground. At that time there was no fire protection. To the left is a picture of that incident along with a newspaper article to the right from the Taney County News. 

 

Administration

Branson Fire & Rescue Administration

Ted Martin - Fire Chief

Charlie Huston - Division Chief, Operations

Mike Novak - Battalion Chief, Training

Randy Fogle - Fire Prevention Officer

Jeff Wilcox - Fire Chaplain

Jan Denega - Administrative Assistant

Julie Kocher - Administrative Assistant

 

Auxaliary

Fire Department Auxiliary

The Auxiliary is a very big part of our department and helps out in many different ways:

  • Remaining "on call" and be ready to assist the Branson Fire Rescue department at all times. We have taken sandwiches and replenishing fluids to fire calls.  We will do the same for any other emergency or training when we are requested.
  • Assist Chief Martin with public education activities when needed.
  • Organize fund-raising events to benefit the Branson Fire/Rescue Association and other organizations that the BFR Association deems as needing assistance.
  • Assist the Association in organizing gatherings such as the Annual Banquet and 5th Thursday parties.

Auxiliary Membership Application

Benevolent Fund

 

Fire Department Benevolent Fund

 

The Branson Fire Rescue Benevolent Fund has been designed to assist local area firefighters in time of need. It has been expanded to also assist visitors and local residents with the same purpose under certain circumstances.

 

The Benevolent Fund was started in 1999 when one Branson Firefighter was involved in a serious automobile accident with his family in Reno, NV. The Reno Fire Department went well above the call of duty to assist this family as they recovered from their injuries. The firefighter was so moved by the assistance given to him and his family; he began the E.F.F.O.R.T. (Every FireFighter Offering Relief Together) program in Branson.

 

Since inception, the EFFORT program has helped with over $8226.00 to area firefighters, and $1840.00 to area visitors and local residents in time of need.

 

The EFFORT fund is always in need of financial resources due to the great demand for assistance in our community. If you would like to make a donation, or have any questions on the EFFORT program, you can contact This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. , or call 417-337-8580.

Chief's Pages

Fire Chief

 

Fire Chief

Welcome to the Branson Fire & Rescue Home Page!  We encourage you to browse our web site and see how our firefighters are a “Fully Involved” at the fire department, with their families, and in our community.

Branson Fire & Rescue is a combination department staffed by 33 full-time firefighters (11 on duty each day), volunteer firefighters, Division Chiefs of Operations and Technical Services, a Battalion Chief of Training, a Fire Prevention Officer, and two Administrative Assistants.  We operate out of 3 fire stations staffing two engines and a ladder company 24 hours a day – seven days a week.   Our ISO Protection Rating is a 4.

The fire department is supported by 4 divisions including Administration, Operations, Technical Services, and Emergency Management.  Please navigate through our web site to learn more about these divisions and how they serve our community.

Branson is a community spread out over 21 square miles with a current population of 10,500.  As a tourism destination our community hosts approximately 8 million visitors annually.  This provides our firefighters with the challenge of protecting a “small town” atmosphere with “big city” features as we serve our local residents and our visitors to the many attractions, theaters, and shopping malls.

On the home page please check out our annual report where you can learn more about the training focus our firefighters have, the number and type of calls we respond to (average of 3300 annually), with a great response time of four minutes or less to emergency incidents.

Thanks for visiting our web site.  Our doors are open for residents and visitors to tour through.  If you have never been to Branson, I hope you can visit very soon.  You won’t be disappointed!  If you would like further information about the fire department, please click on the “Contact Us” link or call (417) 243-2790.


Be Fire Safe!
Ted Martin, Fire Chief


Ted Martin
Fire ChiefJan Denega
Administrative Assistant
Branson Fire & Rescue
110 Crosby St.
Branson, Mo 65616
417-337-8580
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Operations

 

Fire Department Operations

Striving for excellence! This powerful statement says a lot about out career and volunteer firefighters. They work hard each day to improve our organization and that is accomplished through their continuous training in the fire and rescue services that we provide. Improvements in our organization is also evident as they establish and implement new standard operating procedures, purchase new equipment to support our fire and rescue operations, and work "outside the box" to make a positive impact on our community.

While the City of Branson currently has a resident population of 7,700 people, we entertain up to eight million visitors a year. With such a large tourism based population, our firefighters are faced with many challenges. Although we are a relatively small town, we are faced with big city issues. In order to meet those challenges, each firefighter spends an average of 300 - 400 hours per year in training programs to learn new skills or to keep previously learned skills sharp.

Branson firefighters respond to a growing number of emergencies each year with an average response time of 4 minutes. Approximately 70% of our responses are for medical emergencies. While our number of emergency responses continue to grow each year, actual loss in dollars due to fire remain low.

Sincerely,

Charlie Huston
Division Chief, Operations


Charlie Huston
Division Chief, Operations
Branson Fire & Rescue
110 Crosby St.
Branson, Mo 65616
417-337-8580
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Technical Services

 

 

 

Fire Department Technical Services

The Technical Services Division focuses on three key functions:

New Commercial Properties: Plan review and inspections of fire and life safety building features such as fire alarm systems, fire sprinkler systems, commercial hood fire suppression systems, along with emergency lights and exit lights.

Existing Commercial Properties: Fire and life safety inspections performed by the firefighters to assist business owners with identifying and eliminating fire hazards in the work place. Fire pre-planning completed on commercial buildings within the community.

Fire Safety Education: Programs developed for and delivered to groups within the community. Programs focusing on school age children, teenagers, senior citizens, fire safety in the workplace, as well as the Learn Not to Burn program, for example.

Division Chief
Technical Services
Branson Fire & Rescue
110 Crosby St.
Branson, Mo 65616

 



Emergency Management

C.E.R.T.

 

Fire Department C.E.R.T.

 

Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) Training and Support. CERT trains citizens in your community to perform essential life-saving functions waiting for the Professional Responders to arrive following a disaster.

CERT topics include:
• Disaster Preparedness
• Disaster Fire Suppression
• Disaster Medical Operations
• Disaster Psychology
• Light Search & Rescue
• Team Organization

 

Typical Organizations that sponsor a CERT course:
• Private Citizens
• Schools
• Retirement Housing
• Business Owners
• Neighborhood Watch Groups
• Explorer Scouts or Lay Citizens

 

CERT class will take approximately 18 total hours over 7 weeks.
If interested in being apart of a CERT team or taking the CERT class, please contact Branson Fire & Rescue.

 

*Special Note - August 2011 CERT class has been cancelled

 

Class Dates Starting in April 2012
Registration Form

Storm Ready

 

Fire Department Storm Ready

 

 

Storm Ready Population-Based Guidelines

 

Forms

 

Fire Department Forms

 

All forms below can be filled out online using Adobe Acrobat Reader 6.0 or above, but then must be printed, signed and mailed or delivered to the proper department, along with applicable fees, if any.  For more information, please contact the Branson Fire Department.

 

Knox Box

Auxiliary Membership Application
Blasting Notification Form
Burn Permit
Fire Safety Education Program Request
Honor Guard Program Request
Special Permit Application
Volunteer Application

Honor Guard

 

Fire Department Honor Guard

 

The Branson Fire Rescue Honor Guard was established shortly after Branson Fire Department became full-time in 1993.  The Honor Guard was small in membership, and the duties were basically posting colors at two or three events a year that were fire department related only within Branson.

 

In 2000, new leadership and new members put a new face to the Honor Guard.  New opportunities were explored, and the Honor Guard began participating in local parades, conventions, weddings and memorials.  The Honor Guard also began participating in events outside the city limits, including four separate trips to the National Firefighters Memorial in Emmitsburg, MD.   The Honor Guard went to the 2001, 2002 (in D.C. honoring 911 events), 2004, and again in 2007, and were honored with the attendance of President Bush.  The Honor Guard would someday like to make the NFFM an annual event.

 

The Branson Fire Rescue Honor Guard is self-funded through fundraising and community support, and raises funds for trips and equipment.  New uniform equipment is currently being pursued, including badges, helmets and shields specifically for the Honor Guard.

 

The Branson Fire Rescue Honor Guard is a member of The National Honor Guard Commanders Association (www.nhgca.com), and a member of Missouri Fire Service Funeral Assistance Team (www.mofirefuneral.org).

 

The Branson Fire Rescue Honor Guard currently has eight members, and is under the command of Captain Scott Cizek and Engineer Jason Gagnepain.

Links

 

Fire Department Links

 


Knox-Box Rapid Entry System
Knox Box

National Fire Protection Association
http://www.nfpa.org

FireFighter Close Calls
http://www.firefighterclosecalls.com/
Firehouse
http://firehouse.com/
National FireFighter Near-Miss Reporting Sys.
http://www.firefighternearmiss.com

University of Missouri Extension, Fire and Rescue Training Institute
http://www.mufrti.org/

US Fire Administration
http://www.usfa.dhs.gov/

Fire Department Safety Officers Association
http://www.fdsoa.org

International Association of Fire Chiefs
http://www.iafc.org/

Missouri Division of Fire Safety
http://www.dfs.dps.mo.gov/

State of Missouri, State Emergency Management Agency
http://sema.dps.mo.gov

National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians
https://www.nremt.org

Missouri Emergency Response Commission
http://sema.dps.mo.gov/mercc.htm

Sparky the Fire Dog
http://www.sparky.org

National Honor Guard Commanders Association
http://www.nhgca.com/

Missouri Fire Service Funeral Assistance Team
http://www.mofirefuneral.org/

Photos

Public Education

 

Fire Department Public Education Photos

(Clicking on the photos will open the larger version in a new window)

 

B-Shift Station 2 Public Education Docu Drama at High School 1 Docu Drama at High School 2
Docu Drama at High School 3 Docu Drama at High School 4 Fire Sprinkler Protected Side After
Fire Sprinkler Protected Side Before Non-Sprinkled Side After Non-Sprinkled Side Before
   
Side by Side Burn

Recent Calls

Fire Department Recent Calls Photos

(Clicking on the photos will open the larger version in a new window)

Animal Rescue
 
     
MVC
   
     
Fires
 

Stations & Apparatus

 

Fire Department Stations & Apparatus Photos

 

(Clicking on the photos will open the larger version in a new window)

 

Station 1

 

Engine 1 is a 2006 Smeal, equipped with a 1500 GPM pump and a 500 gallon poly tank.  It is also equipped as a heavy rescue.  Engine 1 is the first out apparatus for Station 1.

 

 

Engine-10 is a 1999 H M E model 1871SFO NFPA class 1 Pumper equipped with a 1250 G.P.M. pump with a 500 gallon poly tank.  Engine-10 is the reserve apparatus for Station 1.

 


Pump 3 is a 1937 Dodge Parade Engine which was the first motorized Fire Engine the City of Branson purchased.

 

 

 

 

Station 2

 

Truck-2 is a 2007 Pierce, NFPA class 1, 105' Aerial equipped with a 2000 G.P.M. pump with a 500 gallon poly tank. It is the first out apparatus for Station 2.

 


Truck-20 is a 1996 Spartan MS1500, NFPA class 1, 75’ Aerial equipped with a 1500 G.P.M. two stage pump with a 500 gallon poly tank.  It is the reserve apparatus for Station 2.

 

 

Decon 1 is a 2004 1 Ton Ford F350 that was received from the Taney County LEPC.  The equipment on the truck is a partnership between LEPC, Branson Police Department and Branson Fire Department.  The LEPC funds came from The Department of Homeland Security Grant Money.  It’s main role is to function as an element of the HSRT with its main function being decontamination.  It’s capability is to initiate minor haz-mat incidents.

 

 

Station 3

 

Engine-3 is a 2003 K M E model GSO-5482 NFPA class 1 Pumper equipped with a 1500 G.P.M. pump with a 500 gallon poly tank.  It is also equipped as a heavy rescue.  Engine-3 is the first out apparatus for Station 3.

 

 

Engine-30 is a 1995 Spartan GT1, NFPA class 1 Pumper equipped with a 1500 G.P.M. rear mounted pump with a 500 gallon poly tank. It is a reserve apparatus.

 

 

 

Tender-3 was acquired in 2002 through the Missouri Department of Conservation as a flat-bed military deuce-and-a-half.  Branson firefighters designed and built this vehicle in-house for the purpose of fighting brush fires and transporting water.  It has a 250 G.P.M. pump and a 1000 gallon tank.  By building it in-house we saved roughly $100,000.

 

Training

 

Fire Department Training Photos

 

(Clicking on the photos will open the larger version in a new window)

 

Rope Training
 

 

Live Burn Training
 

 

Haz-Mat Training
 

 

 

 

Public Education

Fire Department Public Education

 

Fire Safety Game

 

Fire Safe House

 

 

 

 

  Sparky the Fire Dog www.sparky.org

 

 

 

 

 

If you do not have Powerpoint installed on your computer, you will need to download the Microsoft Powerpoint Viewer to view some of these items. This link takes you directly to the Microsoft website to download.

Training

 

Fire Department Training

 

Training Vision
The mission of the Training Division is to provide the vision, knowledge and skills to allow every employee to work in a safe and efficient environment while performing a vast amount of services for our public.

 

For a training request form, please visit our forms page.

Volunteer Program

 

Fire Department Volunteer Program

 

 

How Do I Apply?
The first step is to completely fill out an application and attach a copy of your valid Missouri drivers license, proof of vehicle insurance, and a high school diploma or G. E. D.  Turn all these documents in at the fire administration offices located at 1103 West Highway 76, near the Roark Valley Road intersection.  In the application packet you will find a Missouri State request for drivers record form and a criminal record check.  You will be responsible for sending this information off. Each qualified applicant will be notified of the next available testing date to complete a 75 question aptitude exam and a physical ability test.

 

As a final note, the fire department will conduct an investigation into your background.  Becoming a member of the City of Branson Fire Department team requires careful selection.  Acceptance to the fire department depends on many other variables, such as staffing needs.  The selection process is designed to help the fire department find men and women who would most likely become the safest and most effective firefighters on the fire ground.

 

How will I be trained?
Imagine receiving training to prepare yourself to respond to emergency incidents that will range from building fires to heart attacks, from hazardous chemical spills to a person trapped in a car following a collision...

 

Once completing the application process and being voted on as a member of our team, you will enter into a commitment of continued education and study to make you the most efficient and safest firefighter on the fire ground.

 

Your training will start by attending a recruit firefighter academy introducing you to the policies and procedures of the fire department and the basics of fire fighting.  The recruit program will be taught over a three month time period.

 

After graduating from the recruit firefighter academy, you will enter into an intermediate training program consisting of the Missouri State Firefighter I certification, First Responder medical training, hazardous Materials --- Operations Level, and Auto Extrication.

 

Most training classes are offered on Thursday nights, however additional training hours are available on occasional weekends, alternate evenings, and with the career personnel during the day.  Training opportunities are posted monthly.  Typically, the first Thursday of each month is for a business meeting of the Branson Fire Rescue Association,  to keep our firefighters informed and to conduct routine business.

 

As mentioned earlier that becoming a part of our team requires a commitment on your part to continued training and education...  additional training opportunities will be made available as you advance, including training through the University of Missouri - Fire Training.

 

What benefits will I receive?
Although the fire department's primary focus is to provide fire and rescue services for the residents and visitors of the City of Branson, as a firefighter you will receive and or be able to use various services at no cost to you.

 

  • The fire department will provide to you state-of-the art protective clothing, a uniform and a pager to keep you abreast of all incidents.  Total cost of this package is over $1250.
  • As a firefighter, you are provided with Workman's Compensation Insurance.
  • Membership to the Fire Fighters Association of Missouri which includes a monthly newsletter and the opportunity to purchase additional life insurance.
  • Reimbursement pay for responding to fire-rescue incidents and training classes attended.
  • The Fire Department has a Chaplain on staff for direct counseling or to acquire other resources for assistance.
  • As a volunteer, you are encouraged to schedule to ride along with the career staff working 24 hour shifts.

 

Finally, the fire department's training program in fire prevention and suppression, emergency medical services, and continuing education not only benefits the community, but also becomes a priceless skill in family and personal relations.  Not only are you equipped and trained to serve the public, you are ready and prepared to help those you love.

 


 

Copyright ©2011 City of Branson. All Rights Reserved.