Emergency service departments serving the New Caney and Porter areas have either recently built or are considering building additional fire stations to keep up with rapid growth in the area.
The overview
The New Caney- and Porter-area population grew by roughly 30.9% over five years, rising from 64,176 residents in 2020 to 84,010 residents in 2024, according to U.S. Census Bureau data.
Howard Rinewalt—chief of the East Montgomery County Fire Department, which covers roughly 144 square miles, including New Caney and Roman Forest—said the biggest challenge his department has faced has been staying ahead of growing call volumes.
“It’s not just about hiring more firefighters—it’s about expanding stations ... ensuring we have the infrastructure to maintain fast response times,” Rinewalt said.
Porter Fire Department Chief Carter Johnson expressed similar concerns.
“When you have a growing population, now you have [traffic] congestion, so it’s harder to get to places,” Johnson said.
While neither of the departments are currently constructing new stations, both fire chiefs said they each have plans to do so within the next few years.
A closer look
In May, PFD officials opened Fire Station 125 in Kingwood. Johnson said the new station has helped the department expand its coverage capabilities and ability to quickly respond to calls.
“Fire service is all about response time,” Johnson said. “Putting a fire station inside the communities that it serves ... decrease[s] the response time, which means that we get to the call in a quicker manner.”
While Johnson added the new station has required the department to hire additional employees, he said the increased personnel has helped spread resources throughout the department’s coverage area.
Johnson said the new fire station has increased the department’s presence in the community.
“By putting a fire department in the neighborhoods, we become a part of that neighborhood, not only for people to stop by to say hello, but also to handle emergencies,” Johnson said.
EMCFD’s most recently built station was the relocation of Fire Station 152 from New Caney to Roman Forest in 2022. Rinewalt said the relocation was pivotal because the area is prone to flooding.
“That project allowed us to better position firefighters and apparatus in one of the largest areas of our district impacted by floods,” Rinewalt said. “The move eliminated our crews from being cut off from citizens during those disasters.”
Rinewalt said the relocated station was necessary for the department to adapt to evolving challenges as the area grows.
“More homes, more businesses, increased traffic and larger commercial developments all require us to continually evaluate where resources are located,” Rinewalt said.
Also of note
In June, officials with Montgomery County Precinct 4 opened a 10,000-square-foot emergency supplies warehouse in New Caney to better help officials stay prepared to respond during emergency and disaster situations.
During a June 1 ribbon-cutting event, Precinct 4 Commissioner Matt Gray said the warehouse will provide closer access to emergency supplies than the previous warehouse, which was located in Conroe.
Among the items that will be stored at Montgomery County Precinct 4's emergency warehouse include:
- Water
- Ready-to-eat meals
- Cots
- Emergency supplies
- Personal protective equipment
The impact
Johnson said the opening of Fire Station 125 has improved call response times.
“There’s an apartment complex in Kings Manor that’s a fairly frequent caller to us,” Johnson said. “With Station 125 now covering that, it’s more than five minutes saved [in our response times].”
Rinewalt said the relocated Fire Station 152 has also helped lower response times.
“It also helped balance call volume among neighboring stations, allowing us to provide more efficient service,” Rinewalt said.
What they're saying
- “Strong communities are built through proactive planning. The best communities don’t wait for challenges to arrive; they begin preparing for them.” —Mark Linabury, Greater East Montgomery County Chamber president & CEO
- “We have interlocal agreements with all the counties around us. ... This is a statement from them that we are committed to taking care of the people.” —Mark Keough, Montgomery County judge
What's next
Looking forward, Rinewalt and Johnson said each of their departments are in the planning phases of building new fire stations.
Rinewalt said EMCFD hopes to build its next station within three to five years.
“We have plans to expand into the Canopy Parkway and [Hwy.] 242 corridor,” Rinewalt said.
PFD Administrative Specialist Tiffany Davidson said the department has secured land near Valley Ranch Town Center in New Caney for their upcoming Fire Station 126. Johnson said in March that he hoped construction on Fire Station 126 would begin within a year.
Beyond Station 126, Johnson said the department already owns land on Ford Road for future Station 123. However, he noted construction on that property likely won’t begin for another eight to 10 years.
