New central fire station serves as hub of department

After more than 35 years in the community, about 150 firefighters and personnel are settling into their new, cutting-edge surroundings at The Woodlands Fire Department main hub and gearing up to better serve residents.

Deputy Chief of Operations Wayne Walker said firefighters and staff began to move into the new Central Station April 8 at 9951 Grogan's Mill Road. The new facilities feature a dispatch center with operators to cover all of Montgomery County except for Conroe, an Emergency Operating Center, multiple dormitories for firefighters, storage facilities, offices and station-wide generators. Central Station cost an estimated $7 million to construct, which was paid for through a bond program approved in 2007.

The original Woodlands Fire Department station opened in the 1970s and operated until it was demolished in February 2012. Walker said firefighters used to run through the hallways at the original station with buckets to catch rainwater.

Fire Chief Alan Benson said firefighters at Central Station are already busy, and the department is projected to respond to more than 7,000 total emergency calls this year.

Administrators at the new location oversee operations and decision-making processes for the eight fire stations in the area with 10 fully staffed vehicles, rescue boats and a variety of specialty and reserve vehicles.

Firefighters work 24-hour shifts with 48-hour breaks in between and may work overtime, Benson said. The department primarily responds to house and structural fires as well as medical emergencies with paramedic assistance. On an average day at the station, firefighters are responsible for emergency response, equipment preparations, training, safety inspections, buildings and hydrants, station maintenance and promoting public education and relations.

Walker said in addition to providing fire and medical response support, firefighters reach out to residents with daily random acts of kindness. For example, Woodlands firefighters recently bought a woman a new air conditioner out of their own budget after overhearing her tell a customer at the grocery store how her unit broke down.

"You have the opportunity to work with some just really good-hearted people," Walker said. "[As a firefighter] you've seen things you wished you hadn't seen, you've experienced things a lot of other people will never experience in a lifetime. It's just a different profession."