In a nutshell
The new fire stations will go in a part of the city that is largely undeveloped, according to city documents.
Fire Chief Michael Lugo said he anticipates the new fire stations, which were approved May 28 by League City City Council, will shave several minutes off the 15-minute response time in the area.
The average response time for the city overall sits at around 9 minutes, Lugo said. Quicker response times are critical for responding to structure fires, which can destroy a home within three to five minutes, depending on the home’s building materials, Lugo said.
“With those two vital fire stations there, [it] will help us reduce response times for both fire and EMS responses out in that area because right now they're extended times just because of the distance,” Lugo said. “Some of the roads don't go all the way through in certain areas, so they have to go around, which increases times more.”
Fire stations Nos. 7 and 8 will be east of Bay Area Boulevard on Muldoon Parkway and south of the future Grand Parkway on West Boulevard, respectively.
What else?
In addition to the fire engines, the fire department hopes to add an ambulance in each station to provide emergency medical services to the area, Lugo said.
Community Impact previously reported League City has agreements with nearby cities so firefighters from those cities can be dispatched to support League City’s volunteer firefighters. Those agreements will still be in place for the area near the new fire stations, even once those stations are operating, Lugo said.
By the numbers
League City does not yet have a projected timeline for when construction will start and end because it still needs to work with developers to secure the land at the proposed sites, Lugo said. After securing the land, the construction process takes about three years.
The stations could cost between $10 million and $13 million each to build, Lugo said.
What’s next?
With the arrival of the new fire stations, recruiting will continue to be a major priority for the department, which counts 140 volunteer firefighters in its ranks, Lugo said.
In addition to hosting a spring and fall fire academy, the department plans to place recruitment signs near its fire stations and municipal buildings to attract potential recruits, Lugo said.
