MWCFD Media Release - Doug Beabout Named Midwest City Fire Chief
Doug Beabout, a 24-year veteran of the Midwest City Fire Department, has been offered and has accepted the position of Fire Chief for the City of Midwest City. Beabout will serve as the 13th Chief in Midwest City’s history. He replaces Bert Norton who retired on October 31 with 30 years in the Oklahoma Fire Service.
Chief Beabout started with Midwest City in 2000 after serving eight years in the U.S. Army. He is a 1991 graduate of Carl Albert High School and a lifelong resident of the community. The Beabouts are a family of first responders. His father retired from the Midwest City Police Department and one of his sons is a graduate of the Eastern Oklahoma County Fire & EMT Academy, serving as an EMT with SSM Health.
All 24 years of Chief Beabout’s fire career have been with Midwest City. He has advanced through the ranks of the suppression division. His most recent promotion in 2017 was to Assistant Chief/Shift Commander.
Beabout has served in many roles during his career, including serving as president of Firefighters Union Local 2066. He has served as chairman of the Apparatus Committee, overseeing the purchase and buildout of fire equipment for the department. Beabout is credited with successfully writing a grant that led to more than $300,000 being awarded to MWCFD for the purchase of SCBA (Self Contained Breathing Apparatus) equipment. While serving on the committee, he was also instrumental in modernizing the department’s 20-year fire apparatus replacement schedule.
Other honors for Beabout include serving 2 years, early in his career, with Oklahoma’s Task Force One Urban Search and Rescue Unit (OK-TF1). He has competed in, and won, the prestigious Hazmat Challenge in Los Alamos, NM, and currently serves as an instructor at EOC Tech Fire & EMS.
“Among the very qualified candidates for the job, Doug’s wide range of experience with the Midwest City Fire Department and his roots in this community made him the best choice for Fire Chief,” stated City Manager Tim Lyon. “I’m looking forward to working with him in this role and I’m excited to see his vision.”
Beabout begins his duties on Friday, November 1, 2024. An official swearing-in ceremony will be announced by the department at a later date.
“It's an honor and privilege to be selected to carry on the mission and purpose of the fire department and lead my highly qualified team,” said Chief Beabout. “I have the utmost confidence in our firefighters, and I’m proud to continue serving this great community and the citizens who live in it.”
