Barras named Abbeville Fireman of Year

For the second time in his 10-year career, Beau Barras has been selected by his peers as the Abbeville Fireman of the Year.
“In 2008, my peers nominated me and once again in 2013, I was honored to be Firefighter of the Year,” Barras said.
The process of receiving the honor initially goes through a firefighter’s shift (duty day). Each shift nominates one person and once all three shifts have a nominee, those three-selected go through a selection process and review by all three assistant  chiefs and Fire Chief Matt Suire.
“It was an honor being nominated by my shift,” Barras said, “but it was a tremendous honor to be chosen by the officers that supervise and lead the Abbeville Fire Department.”
Barras said a strong support system helped.
“I must say thank you to my wife, Leah, and my two kids Grant and Jude for all the love and support,” Barras said. “My parents, Ray and Jane Barras, along with my older brother Paul and his family and older sister Kristin Barras.”
There is indeed other family, even if they do not share the last name.
“I must also thank my second family, the family that keeps me protected, treats me as their brother and ensures that EVERYONE GOES HOME,” Barras said. “To the Abbeville Fire Department, it has been an honor to serve with you all.  To the members of the Public Education Team that I have worked side by side with educating Abbeville, Capt. Jason Harmon, Capt. Macy Broussard, and FF April Bodin, you are some of the best Instructors a fire department could ask for. Finally, a special thank you to Fire Chief Matt Suire, Asst. Chief Al Hebert, Capt. Damon Bergeron, Capt. Ralph Hutchinson, Capt. Kelly Mire, Capt. Doris Langlinais, FF Blair Menard, FF Mike Soirez, FF Jeremy Broussard, FF Lou Hebert, and FF Eric Meaux.
“You are the best brothers on the “Thin Red Line” and I thank God every day that I am blessed to answer the call of duty with you.”
Barras said that, in and of itself, is worth the weight of any award.
“It has truly been an honor and a privilege to work with some of the best firefighters that a city could have,” Barras said. “We come to work everyday not knowing what is in store for us, but yet we accept whatever comes our way.
“We are here to serve the community we love, teach the kids we want to keep safe and help those when called upon.”
Barras, a 1995 graduate of Abbeville High School, has served the community since graduating from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette in General Studies with an emphasis in Applied Life Sciences/ Sports Medicine.
“When I graduated college, I was determined to become a Professional Firefighter,” Barras said.
When he graduated in December ‘02, he applied with the Lafayette Fire Department.
“I hadn’t considered applying in Abbeville because Lafayette was now my home,” Barras. “One morning, a good, close personal friend of my family, Capt. Ralph Hutchinson (with the APD) called my parents and wanted to know if I was serious about becoming a firefighter and would I consider working in Abbeville.”
The wheels then went into motion.
“My parents called me and I was floored with excitement,” Barras said. “I had never considered working in Abbeville but when I thought about it, I realized that this was an opportunity I could not pass up.
“I have been working for the AFD since 2003 and it has been filled with many experiences some great, some thrilling and some saddening.”