Officials with the Cy-Fair Volunteer Fire Department are looking to get the word out on an issue that, in some cases, has increased response times during emergency situations—low-hanging trees. About three months ago, the department acquired a new Tower 7 fire engine that is used in a variety of medical and fire emergencies, said Captain David Padovan, the department's public information officer. The water pump affixed to the top of the truck has a height of 11 feet, one inch. The truck's ladder has a height of 12 feet, seven inches, and the tower has a height of 12 feet, nine inches, Padovan said. The size of the new vehicle has proven to be an issue on several occasions where low-hanging trees prevented the truck from passing through residential streets, he said. "With the old trucks, we could finagle them through," Padovan said. "The new one is just slightly larger than the ones we had before, and that extra bit of height is what's hindering it." In one instance earlier in December, firefighters were forced to park the truck and walk down the street for a medical call, Padovan said. In other instances, the truck broke through the tree limbs, which caused damage to both the truck and the trees, he said. Although Padovan said he wants avoid calling out specific neighborhoods, he said the department is working to alert residents and homeowners associations in neighborhoods where low-hanging trees have proven to be a problem. "When we're not able to pass, we'll have our guys take down the address and the street where they were blocked," he said. "If it's just one tree, we've just been knocking on the door of the homeowner. If it's the whole street, we're researching and trying to reach out to the HOAs." Padovan said the department has always tried to build strong relationships with HOAs in the service area, and that those efforts have been bolstered in light of the recent issues. The department's website was recently revamped with a new feature on the front page allowing users to reach out, and Padovan encouraged people with HOAs in Cy-Fair to use that to establish a line of communication. Padovan said HOAs have largely expressed willingness to work with the department, but acknowledged that there is not always a quick fix. "If we call them on Monday, we can't expect the trees to be trimmed by Tuesday afternoon," he said. "A lot of the time HOAs have a maintenance contract and have to go through the bidding process and things like that. The process is slow, but it's something where we have to get the ball rolling." Firefighters are also asking residents to avoid parking cars on both sides of the street, another issue that can block firetrucks from passing, Padovan said. The new Tower 7 is about eight feet wide, he said. If it cannot fit between two parked cars, firefighters are forced to find alternate routes, he said. "When it comes to saving someone’s life, every second matters," Padovan said.