City staff, AFD's March discussion the latest in ongoing talks about site options, logistics

Sunset Valley city staff resumed talks in March with the Austin Fire Department about potential locations for a future fire station in or near Sunset Valley that would improve fire engine response times.

A fire station would give AFD better access to Sunset Valley, as well as the area north of West Hwy. 290 and west of MoPac, Sunset Valley City Administrator Clay Collins said. He and AFD representatives examined possible sites north of West Hwy. 290, and Collins updated City Council on March 19.

"We're interested in working with [Sunset Valley] and finding what's best for the community," AFD Chief of Staff Harry Evans said.

A future fire station

AFD has been looking for a way to improve its response times in the area for the past few years, Evans said.

"We're a little slower in these areas than we'd like to be, so really it's about providing better coverage and better fire protection," he said, noting the station does not have to be in Sunset Valley.

Emergency response time lasts from the moment a 911 operator picks up a phone call until first responders arrive on the scene. In Sunset Valley, that time on average is 8.2 minutes, Evans said.

The proposed fire station would have two bays, one fire engine and be staffed by four firefighters per shift, Evans said, and it could also include a two-person paramedic crew. Building the station would require an estimated 2 acres of land, take about two years to develop, and cost between $1 million and $3.5 million, Evans said.

"We know that they're expensive facilities, and we need to make very sure that we're putting [the fire station] where it needs to be and where it can best serve the public," he said.

Mayor Rose Cardona said she does not plan to make the fire station her pet project as mayor, but she will ensure the city keeps the public updated as plans for the station move forward.

"One of the biggest questions that residents will have is, 'How does this affect our contract? Does it mean we pay less?'" Cardona said. "Then if and when they pick a piece of land, a big question is going to be, 'Who takes on the cost of buying the land, and who takes on the cost of building the facility?'" Cardona said, adding the city is "not there yet."

Sunset Valley contracts with AFD for fire protection services, and during the past four years, annual contract expenses ranged from $400,000 to $455,000, Collins said.

Collins said a fire station could be the basis for consideration of a long-term agreement.

"If we had a long-term contract with Austin connected with the station, it would be beneficial to both cities," he said.

Evans said he is working with Collins, and if a likely site is identified, staff will work to develop a new proposal to take to council.

"The plan is to continue forward until we find a suitable location," Evans said.

Every minute matters

If a fire station came to Sunset Valley, response times in the area would improve by an average of 30 seconds to one minute, Evans said.

And when a heart stops or fire is blazing, every second matters, AFD Fire Fighter Steve Cote said.

"Every minute, a fire doubles in size, and that's for the first five minutes," he said. "Wildfires are even worse."

Because of high winds and dry conditions, there have been a few fires in Southwest Austin during March. However, Cote said most of the calls AFD gets are cardiac arrest–related.

He is based at AFD station No. 43, which opened in October 2005 at 11401 Escarpment Blvd. and staffs 15 personnel during the course of three shifts. When that station opened, the Circle C area response times improved 30 percent, subtracting one to three minutes on average, AFD officials said.

AFD Fire Fighter Greg Harris has worked in the field for 22 years and provides emergency medical care on-scene, he said.

"The hardest part of my job is working on kids. I've got three of my own. When you're providing medical care to a kid, and they're badly hurt, it's hard. If they don't make it, it's harder," Harris said.

"People say, 'Why do you do what you do?' I say, 'Someone's got to.'"