Welcome to all first time visitors to the NEW Fire Department (www.ocesd3.org) website, and welcome back to those who have visited our web site before !

As you may see already, our site has exciting information.  

The department has undergone a great deal of change and improvement as you will soon see.  

We are moving forward with new ideas and a new sense of direction to meet the challenges of our area. The Little Cypress Fire Department serves approximately 56 square miles, or about 20% of Orange County, Texas.

Funding for the Little Cypress Fire Department is provided thru Orange County Emergency Services District #3. Community service is provided utilizing two fire stations manned by a combination of almost 40 dedicated paid duty crew and volunteer firefighters.

The Little Cypress Fire Department is currently a Insurance Services Organization (ISO) Class 6/8 rated combination department in the state of Texas. The ISO Grading Schedule begins at Class 10, the highest payment rate for insurance, and reduces to Class 1, the lowest payment rate. As a result, most homeowners and business owners in the Fire Department service area enjoy a reduction in the insurance premiums they pay when compared to similarly developed areas. 

The Little Cypress Fire Department fleet of Heavy Fire Apparatus utilizes a combination of two National Fire Protection Association specification built 1500 gallon per minute fire engines, which include 1000-gallon on-board water tanks, plus one 3000-gallon water tanker and one 1700-gallon water tanker. These mobile water tankers allow the fire fighters a dependable water source that can be brought to the fire even in remote areas that do not have large water mains or fire hydrants. The department operates a brush truck and a Command/Rescue Squad.

The Fire Department also operates a 100-foot 2000-gallon per minute elevated ladder truck with a built in 400 gallon water tank. This elevated ladder truck will allow us to reach even the highest buildings in our community and perform rescues. 

The Fire Department is organized along the National Incident Management Systems (NIMS) guidelines. The Department has an Deputy Chief, Assistant Chief of Operations, an Captain over Training, an Captain over Water Rescue, and an Captain over Emergency Medical Services who are each responsible for their Divisions. By organizing along the NIMS system, the Fire Department is perfectly positioned to transition into the State or Federal Disaster Response Plan in the event of a large-scale emergency. By utilizing the National Incident Management System, we are also prepared to receive support from other outside agencies in the event of a major catastrophe in our community.

Like any successful organization, the secret to our success is our people—the firefighters who, day in and day out, are on the street providing world-class service to our community in their time of need. So what other services do the fire fighters in the department provide? You may be surprised to learn that in addition to fighting all types of fires, we also manage Hazardous Materials spills, Technical Rescue Incidents, Motor Vehicle Accidents, Transportation Emergencies, Emergency Medical Services responses, Large Scale Disaster Management Incidents, and Woodland Grass & Brush Fires.

The Little Cypress Fire Department also provides Public Fire Education to help prevent fires or serious accidents before they occur. Contact our office to schedule a guest speaker at your next event!

Did you know that if you call the Little Cypress Fire Department at (409) 883-9200 and ask for a FREE smoke detector, we will not only give it to you for FREE, but we will install it for FREE! All we require is your signature on our Release of Liability form. A working smoke detector may save you and your family’s life in the event of a fire!

How do we provide such a wide variety of services to the community? OUR PEOPLE! We have a highly talented, dedicated group of people who are committed to helping others when they need it most! 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year—our people are here to help!

Stop by your local Fire Station and let them know how much you appreciate their efforts and help support the department as we continue to move forward! If you would like to join us, just give us a call, or stop by your neighborhood fire station for more information.

Thank you for stopping by, and please visit us often.

Elgin H. Browning
Fire Chief
OCESD#3 / Little Cypress Fire Rescue
chief1@ocesd3.org