Willowfork Fire Department opened its third fire station at 2700 Spring Green Blvd. in Katy in late March. The new facility, which cost nearly $4 million, will serve about 5,700 nearby homes, Willowfork Fire Department Chief Billy Wilson said.
“I estimate around 200 more [homes will be served by the station] in the future between lots left in Silver Ranch and lots left in Cinco Ranch Northwest,” Wilson said.
WFD, also known as Fort Bend County Emergency Services District No. 2, broke ground on the new station on Jan. 20, 2017, and was substantially complete March 19, Wilson said. A grand opening event is planned for June 23.
The facility is staffed by three firefighters with emergency medical technician certifications. The team operates WFD’s Engine 83, which is capable of pumping 1,500 gallons per minute to fight fires. A rescue boat is also housed at the station to ensure that water rescue services can be provided, Wilson said.
“The station is built to sustain hurricane-force winds to allow for safekeeping of equipment and personnel,” he said.
The new station has seven dorms, two offices and a dayroom with an attached kitchen and dining room, Wilson said.
“As the needs of the community change or the call volume increases, we will be able to accommodate more personnel and equipment,” Wilson said.
Wilson said the new station came about in response to reviewing travel times to calls WFD had received and the increase in population in the area the department serves. He expects growth to continue with the homes still being built in subdivisions neighboring Station 3. As the surrounding community grows, the department has plans to add another firefighter, an ambulance and two EMS staffers to the station to ensure it meets the community’s needs.
Wilson said the exact coverage areas for the three individual stations are still being determined as the department evaluates response times to calls within its district, but the overall borders for the ESD 2 have remained constant.
“We’re going to be putting our ambulance service in there also, so that’ll be good,” Fort Bend Precinct 3 County Commissioner Andy Meyers said. “As soon as we buy the equipment and hire the people, that’ll probably be October.”
Meyers said the Spring Green Boulevard roundabout project, just a few hundred feet from the station, is of minor concern in regard to access out of the station. He added the project has been delayed because of utility companies needing to move their respective infrastructure, such as pipelines and cabling, out of the way.
Meyers said the new station is a tribute to the work of Charles Eoggas, who helped organize the community and develop the Willowfork Fire Department to serve the needs of residents in the northern portion of Fort Bend County, which Meyers said has seen tremendous growth over the last two decades.
Meyers said he was proud of the Willowfork Fire Department team and its effort to keep the community safe.
“The board and the staff—the chief and the staff—really do a great job for the residents out here,” Meyers said. “They really do a lot of hard work.”
