Harris County Emergency Services District No. 9 approved preliminary drawings for three new fire stations at a May special meeting, including Station 13, a 19,000-square-foot station to be built in the Bridgeland area. The stations will be staffed by the Cy-Fair Volunteer Fire Department, which will provide fire suppression, emergency medical services and rescue services. "The role of the ESD is to make sure we have what we need at the right place and at the right time," ESD Commissioner Betty Boren Avery said. "Station 13 will put us in a better position to serve the west side of the district. We will continue to review what other aspects need to be covered on the west side." Specific details on the layout and design of the stations are still being determined. The construction timeframe will be determined after the district brings on a construction manager at risk to manage the projects, officials said. The Bridgeland station will be located on the east side of Westgreen Boulevard, just south of Bridgeland Creek Parkway, according to Bridgeland developers with Howard Hughes. The single-story station will feature four to five apparatus bays, living quarters, a training/conference room, work rooms, a decontamination room, turn-out gear space, EMS storage and a physical wellness area. “We are thrilled that Harris County Emergency Services District No. 9 has selected Bridgeland as the home of Fire Station 13,” said Peter Houghton, vice president of master planned communities for Bridgeland, in a statement. Other ESD No. 9 plans include building a new Station 2 to cover the Wortham area, a new Station 9 in the Cherry Park area and completing renovations to Station 7 on Cypresswood Drive. Cy-Fair VFD, which covers about 165 square miles in northwest Harris County, is a combination fire department with volunteers, part-time and full-time paid personnel. ESD No. 9 is responsible for managing the department’s annual budget and for collecting taxes so the district can fund the delivery of services for the fire department. Voters approved a 1-cent sales tax increase for Harris County ESD No. 9 in May 2013. The new projects are being funded by the boost in sales tax revenue generated by the increase, which officials said was needed to serve a Cy-Fair population that grew from 247,800 people to 411,000 people from 2003-2013, and is projected to continue growing for the foreseeable future. "It's all about the people we serve," Avery said. "Bridgeland worked with the district to come to this juncture, and now we’re ready to move forward. I think this is positive step." The VFD is always in need of volunteers to serve the growing Cy-Fair population, Avery said. Anyone interested in volunteering can apply to the fire department in person at 9630 Telge Road, Houston, or by calling 281-550-6663.