Volunteer Fire Department
Organized in 1951 as part of the Bridge City Civil Defense Unit by John Robert Saint and Archie Calhoun, the Bridge City Volunteer Fire Department was chartered on March 26, 1953, and its original officers were:
President W. H. Bickford
Vice president J. M. Eshach
Fire Chief Archie Calhoun
Assistant Chief Thomas Spurlock
Fire Marshal John R. Saint
Secretary Guy O. Rascoe
Treasurer James R. Bays
First fire apparatus was a 1929 model Chevrolet fire truck donated by Harry Rosen of Port Arthur.
Others volunteers soon joined and in the beginning there were 31 members. In the early 1950s the group met the second and fourth Monday of each month at the fire station that was located on Highway 87 next to Nolton Brown’s Service Station and the post office. By April, 1952 a formal election was held to appoint officers, write a constitution and by-laws. In early 1954 land was purchased for $1,000 from Robert L. Kibbe, Sr. where volunteer firefighters built a station. In 1966 the Bridge City Volunteer Fire Department Ladies Auxiliary was organized. In April, 1977 a sub-station was built on FM 408 at Bessie Heights Road. By 1981 a 12,150 square foot 10-bay central fire station was dedicated on Bland Street. In January 2008 a new fire station in Orangefield on FM 105 was dedicated.
Fire chiefs since 1953 include:
Archie Calhoun 1953-1958
Loris Vice 1959
Archie Calhoun 1960-1968
Doyce Sherman 1969
Ray Spiller 1970
Jerry Pesson 1971-1975
Richard Solomon 1976-1980
Jerry Pesson 1981-1983
Paul Fournier 1984-1986
Larry Callahan 1987
Jim Gillespie 1988
Larry Callahan 1989
Jim Gillespie 1990-1991
Larry Callahan 1992-1994
Carroll LeBlanc 1995
Larry Callahan, Carroll LeBlanc & Ray Welch 1996
Larry Callahan 1997-1998
Ross Guilhas 1999-2000
Scott Barnes 2001-2007
Charles Uzzle 2007-2011
Brent Morse 2011-2013
James Fisette 2013-2014
Ricky Bodin 2014-Present
To provide the best possible emergency service to the people of Orange County Emergency Service District # 2 to minimize suffering, loss of life, and loss of property incurred by fire, accidents, disasters, and medical emergencies.
