PHOTOS: Montgomery County ESD 1 firefighters often are asked why their fire trucks are blue.
"Our trucks are easy to be spotted," said Fire Chief Jason Oliphant, standing next to the Sierra Blue fire truck, which earned the trucks and the department "The Smurfs" nickname, according to the agency's website.
The agency is one of the few in Texas with blue fire trucks, which tends to attract attention, Oliphant said.
In 2022, the West Orange Volunteer Fire Department east of Beaumont had a blue truck with some streaks of silver.
In 1981, the Willis and Panorama volunteer fire departments joined together to form the North Montgomery County Volunteer Fire Department, according to the agency's website. At the time, the agency had several fire trucks that were red, white and green — giving the agency the nickname "The Rainbow Fire Department," the website states.