Getting help fast in Bellaire: 911, the ambulance and same-day care

When it can't wait

Call 911 for any emergency, at any hour. The city repeats it on its After Hours page: in case of emergency at any time, dial 911.

For problems that are not emergencies, such as a barking dog or a city issue after hours, use the police non-emergency line or SeeClickFix, the city's online reporting tool. A barking dog is a police matter in Bellaire. The city's FAQ sends those calls to the police department.

The police department

The Bellaire Police Department is at 5110 Jessamine St. The Bellaire Municipal Court shares the address and handles traffic tickets, Class C misdemeanors and city ordinance violations inside the city limits.

The fire department and the ambulance

The Bellaire Fire Department is at 5101 Jessamine St, next door to the city library. Its chief, listed on the city's site, is Davis Farquhar.

The fire department runs the city's emergency medical service. When a medical emergency comes in, the city says, a fire department ambulance responds day or night, usually within 3 to 4 minutes. A paramedic assesses the problem, starts treatment and transports the patient if needed. The ambulance is a mobile intensive care unit, staffed by firefighters cross-trained as paramedics. A fire engine called the lead pumper goes too, as a first-responder unit carrying first-aid equipment and rescue tools. Between calls, the city says, EMS crews offer blood pressure screening. They also keep the medical inventory stocked and follow the department's infectious disease control procedures.

For children who need a hospital, the Texas Children's Hospital main campus is at 6621 Fannin Street in the Medical Center.

Same day, age 12 and up

Houston Methodist Same Day Clinics has a Bellaire location at 4710 Bellaire Blvd, which Houston Methodist's page lists in Suite 390. It takes walk-ins and same-day appointments on weekdays, for patients 12 and older, with hours of 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. and walk-ins welcome until 5 p.m. Nurse practitioners and physician assistants give the care, and video visits are offered.

Bellaire runs its own police, its own fire department and its own ambulance, and all three answer to the city.

The clinic is for new, short-term problems. Houston Methodist says its same-day clinics do not treat chronic conditions, back or spine injuries, injuries from car accidents, workers' compensation cases, or well-woman and annual exams. For evenings and weekends, Houston Methodist offers virtual urgent care around the clock.

Doctors for younger children

Texas Children's Pediatrics Houston Pediatric Associates is at 4110 Bellaire Blvd, Suite 210, just over the city line in Houston. Texas Children's lists its hours as Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Saturday, 8:30 to 11 a.m. for sick patients only. It accepts new patients by appointment and offers same-day appointments for sick children. Its services include well-child visits and vaccines, newborn care, teen care, sick visits, chronic illness care, sports physicals and asthma care. Texas Children's lists its other pediatric practices in its online directory.

UT Physicians Multispecialty, Bellaire Station, is at 6500 West Loop S., Suite 200-F. UT Physicians lists it as an outpatient multispecialty clinic. It does not list urgent care there, so call before you go with a same-day problem.

Dentists for children

Wildflower Pediatric Dentistry, at 5423 Bellaire Blvd, is open Monday to Thursday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Friday, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. The practice says it is in network with many PPO plans, accepts Medicaid and offers an in-house plan.

Bellaire Pediatric Dentistry, at 6750 West Loop S, Suite 795, is the practice of Dr. Joel J. Vela. It describes its focus as preventive and restorative dental care for children.

Fire rules that affect your house

The city says any new home with living space above the second story needs an automatic fire sprinkler system. Some homes may need sprinklers for other reasons, such as the distance from the driveway. If you plan to build three stories, ask Development Services early.

Where everything is

Most of Bellaire's public safety sits on one block of Jessamine Street. The police and the municipal court share 5110 Jessamine. The fire station is at 5101 Jessamine, and the Bellaire City Library is next door at 5111 Jessamine. City Hall, where permits and utility accounts are handled, is separate, at 7008 S. Rice Avenue.

The municipal court generally meets on Tuesday mornings for jury trials, Tuesday evenings for arraignment dockets and Wednesday afternoons for trials before the judge, the city says. Fines can be paid in person at the court or online through the city's payment portal.

Bellaire runs its own police, its own fire department and its own ambulance, and all three answer to the city. That makes the first few minutes of an emergency here a local matter, which is why 911 is always the first call.

Checking a license

The Texas Medical Board's website has a license lookup for doctors. It takes a minute and shows whether a license is active.

Before you go

- Call 911 for anything life-threatening, whether it is medical, fire or police. - Use the police non-emergency line or SeeClickFix for city problems that can wait. - Remember that the Methodist walk-in clinic sees only patients who are 12 or older. - Call the pediatric practice early on Saturday, because sick visits end at 11 a.m. - Ask any office whether it takes your insurance before you arrive.

Sources

- City of Bellaire, City After Hours (https://www.bellairetx.gov/1490/City-After-Hours) - City of Bellaire, Police Department (https://www.bellairetx.gov/781/Police-Department) - City of Bellaire, Fire Department (https://www.bellairetx.gov/672/Fire-Department) - City of Bellaire, Emergency Medical Services (https://www.bellairetx.gov/848/Emergency-Medical-Services) - City of Bellaire, Municipal Court (https://www.bellairetx.gov/674/Municipal-Court) - City of Bellaire, Frequently Asked Questions, General (https://www.bellairetx.gov/FAQ.aspx?QID=21) - City of Bellaire, Frequently Asked Questions, Development Services (https://www.bellairetx.gov/FAQ.aspx?QID=115) - Houston Methodist, Same Day Clinic, Bellaire (https://www.houstonmethodist.org/pcg/same-day-clinics/bellaire/) - Texas Children's, Houston Pediatric Associates (https://www.texaschildrens.org/locations/texas-childrens-pediatrics/houston-pediatric-associates) - UT Physicians, Multispecialty, Bellaire Station (https://www.utphysicians.com/clinic/ut-physicians-multispecialty-bellaire-station/) - Wildflower Pediatric Dentistry (https://www.wildflowerpd.com/) - Bellaire Pediatric Dentistry (https://www.bellairesmiles.com/) - Texas Medical Board (https://www.tmb.texas.gov/)

En español

En Bellaire, para cualquier emergencia llame al 911. La ciudad tiene su propia policía y su propio departamento de bomberos en la calle Jessamine. Los bomberos son también paramédicos y manejan la ambulancia, que según la ciudad suele llegar en 3 a 4 minutos. Para problemas que no son emergencias, use la línea de la policía para casos que no son de emergencia o SeeClickFix. La clínica Same Day de Houston Methodist, en 4710 Bellaire Blvd, atiende sin cita de lunes a viernes a pacientes de 12 años en adelante. Para niños más pequeños, la práctica de Texas Children's en 4110 Bellaire Blvd ofrece consultas para niños enfermos los sábados de 8:30 a 11 a.m.