The gist
Proceeds from the sale will fund 24/7 staffing for emergency services at the Ponder fire station through October 2028, per the news release. Denton County will lease the fire station to the Ponder Fire Department for $1 a year and provide an ambulance to serve the town’s emergency response zone, according to county documents.
“These initiatives allow town of Ponder residents and areas surrounding the town to have 24/7 staffing and equipment beginning this fall,” Precinct 2 Commissioner Kevin Falconer said in the news release. “This is the first time the community and surrounding residents will experience that level of services being available.”
Zooming out
The purchase is the first step in the county’s Fire and EMS Master Plan, adopted by the county court in June 2024. The plan aims to improve response times and coordination between the 19 departments that provide emergency services to unincorporated areas of Denton County. Roughly half of Denton County is unincorporated.
Looking ahead
County documents state the sale will close on or before Oct. 1, the date on which the lease will start.
Denton County is also planning for future emergency service locations to accommodate the county’s growing population.
“This initiative will keep services strategically placed as Denton County expands, particularly in Precinct 1, in the next few years as additional housing developments begin to be built,” Precinct 1 Commissioner Ryan Williams said in the news release.
