City Council approved Richardson’s new fire master plan in November, and several of the projects could be included in the city’s May bond election.
At a glance
Most notably, a seventh fire station in Richardson could receive some funding if voters approve the bond.
The new station is planned for north central Richardson and would cost the city more than $23 million, with $2.4 million for the first phase included in the upcoming bond package.
The land has not yet been purchased, but Fire Station No. 7 would ideally be located in north central Richardson near the Galatyn area, City Manager Don Magner said.
“We’re meeting the need. We’re above water right now,” Fire Chief Curtis Poovey added. “By the time [Station No. 7] opens, we’re going to be bobbing for air and then we’re going to be breathing again.”
Also included in the bond proposition will be funding for a new building near Fire Station No. 5 and an addition at Fire Station No. 6.
The new building would be a storage and repair center behind, and renovations at station No. 6, would include a new fitness room, kitchen and living area. Poovey said the station No. 6 is the last that needs a department standard fitness room.Beyond the bond projects, staff is planning to hire 21 firefighters in the next several years, according to the fire master plan.
The plan also calls for the purchase of a new truck for Station No. 3 and a new ambulance to help cover the downtown area.
Why it matters
Magner said that the city’s strategy of redeveloping “old, outdated” office buildings into apartments has necessitated the need for another station.“Around where we want to really locate Fire Station No. 7, there have been thousands of apartment units that have been brought on,” he said. “To facilitate all of that, we have to have our core services in order.”
Poovey said that as more development comes online, calls can take longer to complete.
“If the patient is in McDonald’s, or in a one story home, we can access them real quick,” he said. “If they’re on the 18th floor of then it takes us a long time to get to them.”
He added that the location of the new station will also help to field calls on US 75, which he said is “a huge resource requirement.”
“It seems like almost every morning and every afternoon we’re having some call on US 75, and sometimes they take hours and hours to clear,” Poovey said. “You’ve got one or potentially two units out of service for multiple hours during those periods, and that’s a big consideration for Fire Station No. 7.”
What’s next
Magner said that Richardson’s corporate development will continue to place extra demand on the city’s fire department. Several of the city’s “target industries,” including semiconductor manufacturing, require regular inspections from the fire department.
If approved, Richardson’s bond package would fund $12.5 million in fire department projects, according to city documents. The fire master plan calls for $30 million more in spending through 2030, with the city’s seventh station expected to open in 2033.
If council calls the bond, Richardson residents will see funding for the fire department projects on the ballot on May 2.
