PUBLIC SAFETY
44 YEARS of fire chiefs IN THE WOODLANDS The fire department in The Woodlands has grown to a department of 169 employees since its first chief was hired in 1975. Palmer Buck will be the department’s sixth chief. Year hired
Palmer Buck recruited from Austin Fire Department, starts Dec. 2 The Woodlands names new fire chief
and from The Woodlands Township FY - budget. Among the new expenses in the FY - budget is , for a second set of bunker gear for reghters. “That’s a huge step. ... The Woodlands has seen t to get that second set for bunker gear,” Buck said. “That has shown to make a positive impact on cancer prevention that shows how much the township cares about employees.” Buck said budgetary planning, forming partnerships and strategiz- ing for the department’s future amid nancial constraints are among the foremost concerns he will tackle. “All across the state, topmost in everybody’s mind is the property tax cap and how that’s going to aect municipalities across the state,” Buck said, referring to the legislation passed this year that could cap property tax revenue growth frommany taxing enti- ties at .% without voter approval.
BY VANESSA HOLT
About six months aer The Woodlands Fire Department Chief Alan Benson announced his retirement, the department said Oct. that Palmer Buck will take over the position in December. The hire comes aer a nationwide search ended with the decision to choose Buck, Austin Fire Depart- ment’s division chief in operations, according to a news release from The Woodlands Township. Buck has been employed by the Austin Fire Department for years, according to the release. His previous experience includes service in Texas and North Carolina as a paramedic and a reghter as well as a public information ocer. Buck will oversee a department of employees and a budget of . million, a , increase from the previous year, according to information from the department
ALLEN GRODA , first paid fire chief STEVE DOSSETT
1975 1981 1998 1989 2005
JOHN MULLIN BRUCE WOODS ALAN BENSON
SOURCE:THEWOODLANDSFIREDEPARTMENT/ COMMUNITY IMPACTNEWSPAPER
Palmer Buck, formerly of the Austin Fire Department, was named The Woodlands Fire Department chief effective on Dec. 2.
Township, lauded the new chief’s qualications in a news release when the hire was announced. “We look forward to having Chief Buck come to The Woodlands with his wealth of knowledge, experience and leadership,” Norrell said. “Chief Buck has years of experience in all aspects of the re service and is a proven leader with extensive opera- tions and command experience.”
With the possibility of an incorpo- ration vote in The Woodlands in , Buck said he will need to be ready to respond to whatever happens if the measure comes to a vote and the township becomes a city. “I’ll have to get educated on that and be ready to make contingency plans,” he said. Don Norrell, the president and general manager of The Woodlands
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