Brazos County celebrated the grand opening of its new $5.3 million Emergency Services District headquarters and fire station with new full-time and volunteer firefighters on Nov. 2.
The gist
According to a Facebook post, the ESD officially moved into its new location in October. ESD 1 Lieutenant Firefighter Eli Saint told Community Impact the new station will completely replace the older station on Wellborn Road. Saint said three full-time firefighters and 15 volunteers rotate 48-hour shifts.
“We’re extremely grateful for the community support for the department,” Saint said.
Assistant Fire Chief Chet Barker said the move was intended to place the station in a more central location. He added that community growth helped develop a larger station.
“If everyone will continue to support us, we will continue to support them,” Barker said.
The impact
Brazos County commissioners praised the new facility and what it means to the community at its Nov. 3 meeting.
Precinct 1 Commissioner Bently Nettles said response time by south Brazos County will be cut from an average of 20 minutes to 10 with the new location of the station.
"Response time to your fire, because of the new way homes are built, you need to get there sooner because they tend to burn quicker," he said.
Before you go
According to ESD 1’s website, the district serves 20,000 residents, mostly in rural areas. As previously reported by Community Impact, Brazos County has been promoting its volunteer fire department to increase volunteering, community involvement and funding efforts. With the growth of the area and more active developments, the station anticipates an increase in emergency calls.
