Plans underway for new fire stations From the cover
Current situation
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The Boerne Fire Department is the only full-time department in Kendall County, serving both city and county residents through interlocal agreements. Casarez said the department tries to have a station meet the needs of a mile and a half radius. When assessing areas in need, the construction of a second station near the Esperanza development will help serve the eastern side of Boerne. Casarez said there are plans to construct Station 3 in the area of the Buc-ee’s development, but the design and construction of that re station are still being determined. “So that’ll get us the three circles that we need to cover the majority of the city limits,” he said. “And then from there, responding out into the county is another challenge, but that’s kind of how we’re planning to try to keep up with the growth.” Andrade said growth challenges for ESD 4 have included higher equipment costs and increased funding for sta ng. “It used to take 9-15 months to get a new re truck, and now it is taking 2-4 years,” Andrade said. “So, if I build Fire Station 135, that’ll be done within a year to a year and a half, but now I need a re truck to go inside of it.”
1
4
87
3351
AMMANN RD.
5
AMMANN RD.
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ROLLING ACRES TRL.
Boerne
6
Fair Oaks Ranch
RALPH FAIR RD.
10
Drive time The shaded area represents an estimated five-minute drive time from fire stations.
DIETZ ELKHORN RD.
2
FAIR OAKS PKWY.
5-minute drive time boundary City boundary
7
3351
Existing Stations: 1 Station 1
Proposed Stations:
3
4 Station 2 5 Station 3 6 Station 420 7 Station 135
BOERNE STAGE RD.
2 Station 134 3 Station 132
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MAP NOT TO SCALE
Put in perspective
Budget explained
Alongside the long lead times for equip- ment, the cost of fire engines has nearly doubled. Casarez said an engine purchased a few years ago cost $584,000 , and the newest truck cost around $1.2 million . Departments are working to purchase new equipment for the upcoming stations, while also updating current fleets that may be outdated. Casarez said departments are focusing more on truck maintenance rather than replacing them after the traditional 12-year mark. Utilizing older trucks helps departments have equipment, rather than waiting up to four years for a new piece of equipment to arrive. Casarez said the department has already ordered the fire engine for Station 2, and the engine is expected to be delivered by the time the facility opens.
Boerne’s Fire Department has been around since the early 1900s, but it relied on volunteer staff and did not have its first full-time employee until around 2010. The Boerne Fire Department is funded through the city budget, utilizing resident tax dollars to support public services. Being part of the city budget, the fire depart- ment competes for funding with other depart- ments. The Fiscal Year 2025-26 budget includes $8 million toward the Fire Station 2 project. Unlike the city department, ESD 4 operates as a taxing entity, establishing a set tax rate for res- idents within its service area, with the exception of those in Fair Oaks Ranch. While Fair Oaks Ranch does not pay the ESD tax rate, City Council in September approved a new contract from the city budget that will steadily increase the amount paid to the ESD over the next five years, eventually falling in line with the rate paid by residents.
Fire department funding The majority of fire department budgets are allocated to funding staff, making up at least 65% of each budget.
Boerne Fire Department Personnel: 86.5%
General expenses: 4.9%
Total $5.46M
Supplies: 4.2%
Maintenance: 3.4%
Other: 1%
Bexar County ESD No. 4 Personnel: 65%
Administrative and other: 5% Equipment and apparatus: 20% Maintenance: 10%
Total $10.68M
SOURCE: BOERNE FIRE DEPARTMENT, BEXAR COUNTY ESD 4/COMMUNITY IMPACT
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COMMUNITYIMPACT.COM
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