By David Taylor / Managing Editor
Harris County, TX – The Harris County Emergency Services District 12 (ESD-12) has recently welcomed a new fire chief, Marshall Hutton, and celebrated the arrival of two new pumper fire trucks, marking a significant milestone for the department.
Marshall Hutton, who has a long and distinguished career in firefighting, was officially named the fire chief at the ESD-12 board meeting on July 10, 2025. Hutton, who previously worked full-time for the Baytown Fire Department from 1994 until his retirement in 2023, had been serving as the acting fire chief since June 30, 2025, following the retirement of the former chief. Hutton had been with ESD-12 since January 2019, initially working around his Baytown schedule as the training chief.
Reflecting on his appointment, Hutton said, “While I thought I might become the chief at some point, it was a little sudden and unexpected that it came so quickly. Chief Russell still had some time left on his contract, but he had some family stuff come up and he made the decision to go ahead and leave. The board was happy with me as their new chief and wanted to move forward.”
In addition to the new leadership, ESD-12 has also enhanced its firefighting capabilities with the acquisition of two new pumper fire trucks. These trucks, which were ordered about two years ago, arrived recently and were purchased for a total of $1.4 million.
“If you order those trucks now, they’re about $1.2 million apiece,” Hutton noted, highlighting the fortunate timing of the purchase.
The arrival of the new trucks was celebrated with a traditional “push-in” ceremony, a ritual dating back to the days of horse-drawn fire apparatus. “A horse can’t go backwards with it being hooked up, so when the farmer would return from a call, they would disconnect the horses, clean them up, and then push the wagons back into the station,” Commissioner Bryan Clements explained. “The push-in ceremony is symbolic of pushing the fire truck into the station to put it in service, meaning it’s ready to respond.”
The new trucks are a significant addition to ESD-12’s fleet, which includes two stations, two engines, and a ladder truck. The department, which covers an area of 9.75 square miles with a population of about 60,000 people, is known for its high level of preparedness and quick response times.
“We have a full box alarm on scene within 8 minutes 90 percent of the time,” Hutton said.
ESD-12 has been a fully paid department since 2018, with no volunteers or part-time staff. The department achieved an ISO Class 1 rating in 2022, a testament to its high standards in equipment, training, and response capabilities. The ISO Class 1 rating places the department in the top 1 percent of fire departments across the United States. Just over 400 departments out of more than 40,000 have achieved that distinction and only 74 in Texas.
“We have great water supply systems in our area, and we do a minimum of two hours of training per day,” Clements added.
Looking ahead, Hutton has ambitious plans for the department, including expanding the existing shop, building a new shop, and separating administration from the fire station.
“I want to get my staffing full and fill all the trucks up completely,” he said. “We’re concentrating on getting firefighters hired, trained up well, and being well-versed in their roles.”
The ESD-12 board has been extremely supportive of these initiatives. Commissioner Clements emphasized the board’s commitment to fiscal responsibility and the importance of being good stewards of taxpayer money. “We have $0 debt, and the ladder truck and two pumpers we just bought have all been paid for without entering into any debt,” Clements said.
ESD-12 receives one-cent on sales tax and 5 cents on every $100 ad valorem taxes to support their efforts in firefighting. The district serves over 65,000 residents.
For more information, please contact the Harris County ESD-12 Fire Department on their website at https://hcesd12.net/ or on their non-emergency number at 713-453-1811.
