Paid firefighters start first shift at Lumberton Fire & EMS

Lumberton Fire & EMS welcomed two new paid daytime firefighters, Birkby and Wright, to the firehouse on Monday, June 4. Pictured; from left, Lt. Mike Birkby, Firefighter Matt Wright, Chief Jim Philp, Capt. Christy Bonin, EMT-Intermediate Lanna Mull. less Lumberton Fire & EMS welcomed two new paid daytime firefighters, Birkby and Wright, to the firehouse on Monday, June 4. Pictured; from left, Lt. Mike Birkby, Firefighter Matt Wright, Chief Jim Philp, Capt. ... more Photo: David Lisenby, HCN_Firefighters Photo: David Lisenby, HCN_Firefighters Image 1 of / 3 Caption Close Paid firefighters start first shift at Lumberton Fire & EMS 1 / 3 Back to Gallery

Today is a red letter day for Lumberton Fire & EMS. Monday, June 4, 2012, is the first day the firehouse has paid daytime firefighters on duty to serve the community.

After years of planning and two elections to allow Emergency Services District 2 to collect tax dollars to fund the change, the dream of having paid firefighters became a reality. Lt. Mike Birkby and Firefighter Matt Wright started their first 10-hour shift at 8:00 a.m.

The new firefighters, who are also EMT certified, will be working 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, the time with the biggest gap in services provided to the department due to the fact that most volunteers are working their paying jobs.

Birkby has been a volunteer firefighter at Lumberton Fire & EMS since 2007. Originally from Ontario, Canada, he began his firefighting career in his home country before moving to Southeast Texas to attend firefighting school.

Upon graduation he went to work as an industrial firefighter in local refineries for a little over two years before securing a job at the Beaumont Emergency Service Training Complex as a fire instructor. He also worked at Orange County ESD3 as a part-time firefighter.

Birkby has reached the rank of Lieutenant at the department as a volunteer and served as the Fire Marshal for the department since being installed earlier this year.

"I've been here for five years as a volunteer and still haven't grasped the fact that I am now getting paid to be here to do something I love to do," Birkby said. "Now that I am a paid firefighter here I feel that I can do more things for the department."

Wright is a Beaumont native who has been a volunteer at the Lumberton firehouse for the past two years. He is a volunteer firefighter for the China Fire Department also. He has worked as an industrial firefighter with the same company as Birkby and also worked with him at Orange County ESD3.

"I've worked for a lot of different departments," Wright said, "but I keep coming back to Lumberton. I like the town, the department, and the people around here."

Birkby and Wright will be faced with the challenges of being the first paid firefighters in a formerly all-volunteer department. Having been volunteers at the Lumberton firehouse, however, is something they consider an advantage.

"I've worked with all these guys for some time now," said Birkby. "I get along well with all of them. As a paid firefighter now, I am sure we will all continue to get along the same without tension between the paid firefighters and volunteers. They already know Matt and me and how we work, so I see this as nothing but a positive."

Fire Chief Jim Philp said the department has been preparing for the day for several years. Where other departments may have problems transitioning to a combination department on the firefighting side of their department, Lumberton Fire & EMS has had experience with mergers and has staff who have been in similar situations and know some of the trials and tribulations that come with the transition, Philp said.

"Both Lt. Birkby and Firefighter Wright know the district, which is a huge help in the transition," he said. "Having two individuals who are already known and respected by the other firefighters who are here is a good issue to have. These are highly qualified individuals who bring a lot to the table. Their previous working relationship and level of communication and understanding between them is a great asset to us all at the firehouse."

Volunteer firefighter Israel Chapa said he welcomes the addition of the new paid firefighters.

"I have worked side by side with these guys as a volunteer here, and they are good guys," he said. "You couldn't ask for better people to be here during those critical daylight hours. I believe this will help build camaraderie by knowing they are here where other firefighters can stop by and have lunch with them. Leadership could not have picked two better people."