In an effort to accommodate rapid population growth surrounding the Grand Parkway, emergency service providers are expanding their presence in Spring and Klein.
Fire departments in Spring and Klein are developing new stations within communities Springwoods Village and Gleannloch Farms. The new station in Gleannloch Farms will increase public safety by allowing the Klein Volunteer Fire Department to be within four minutes of about 90 percent of residents in its service area, said Mike Pate, a commissioner for Harris County Emergency Service District No. 16.
“With population growth, especially around the Grand Parkway, it’s important to put a station there to maintain our good response time,” Pate said.
KVFD is wrapping up the design phase for Fire Station No. 8, which will be located at the northeast corner of Champion Forest and Crescent Clover drives. The plan is to send the project out for construction bids in June and have construction completed by the first quarter of 2017, Pate said.
Fire Station No. 8 will be the first within KVFD to feature living quarters with beds. Currently, firefighters sleep on air mattresses in between shifts during a natural disaster, Pate said.
It also has a 10,000-square-foot meeting room, a training room and a three-bay fire truck station. The station will begin with one truck and add more as demand presents itself, Pate said.
“Klein Fire Department as a department is a combination [service provider],” Pate said. “It features duty crews [which are primarily off-duty firefighters] during the day and volunteer firefighters at night. We have the flexibility of moving duty crews where [demand is highest]. This station gives the department the option of repositioning the crews where the call volume is.”
The Spring Fire Department and Cypress Creek EMS created a joint emergency services facility on Springwoods Village Parkway that includes Spring Fire Station No. 70 and EMS Station No. 513.
Construction of the EMS facility was completed and move-in began Feb. 18, said Norm Uhl, Cypress Creek EMS public information officer. The fire station became fully operational on March 1, said Robert Logan, assistant fire chief for Spring Fire Department.
The 19,569-square-foot Fire Station No. 70 facility includes a five-truck bay, living quarters and a physical wellness area. The 4,794-square-foot EMS No. 513 facility features two double-deep ambulance bays, living quarters and a workroom.
“Having the Spring Fire [and] Cypress Creek EMS Station embedded into Springwoods Village was part of our vision to create a complete community, and it will enhance the quality of life for residents and employees in the Springwoods Village community,” said Keith Simon, executive director for Springwoods Village developer Coventry Development Corporation.
