Cy-Fair Edition | January 2024

Future re stations planned From the cover

The big picture

Serving Cy-Fair

CFFD serves more than 600,000 residents in a 164-square-mile area CFFD has 347 full-time, 85 part- time and 128 volunteer sta¢ CCFD’s average response time is 11 minutes and 52 seconds , while the recommended goal is 7.5-8.5 minutes 249

KEY

Existing station

Proposed station 99 TOLL

The Citygate report concluded the CFFD’s three main challenges are: • Deployment needs and projected growth

• Headquarters support capacity being understaffed by about 26 positions

HUFFMEISTER RD.

• Long-term iscal operations and planning Recommendations included three in ll stations to help close service gaps in developed parts of Cy-Fair and ve stations to accommodate future growth. Citygate reported 13,000 residential units and 283,000 square feet of commercial space were planned, approved or under construction within the re department’s service area as of 2023. The in ll stations should be prioritized, Stewart Gary, public safety principal with Citygate, said at a Sept. 19 ESD meeting. The other ve stations should be built depending on the pace of development, with four spread along the Grand Parkway south of Hwy. 290 and one slated for the northern part of the district. “You bear a signi cant customer service burden already, and the good news is you’re going to have a plan and the resources to grow it commensurate with good outcomes equitably everywhere, not just by happenstance where you nd yourselves today,” Gary said.

290

Cy-Fair Fire Department boundaries

1960

99 TOLL

529

MAP NOT TO SCALE N

LAND HAS NOT BEEN ACQUIRED FOR STATIONS 15, 17, 18, 19 AND 20, SO THESE LOCATIONS ARE GENERAL APPROXIMATIONS.

SOURCES: CYFAIR FIRE DEPARTMENT, CITYGATE ASSOCIATES COMMUNITY IMPACT

The cost

Future nances

Facilities and equipment expenses

Operating expenses

Remaining reserves:

Andrew Green, local government nance specialist with Citygate, said because the ESD has more than $126 million in reserves, it can aord to fund additional stang and facilities. CFFD Chief of Operations Brent Scalise said re department leadership wasn’t surprised by Citygate’s recommendation to add eight new stations—ocials have been setting aside funds for years in preparation for this expansion. “I think it’s important to note that we didn’t view it as reserves, really. A portion of it we looked at as reserves, but the other part was we knew this growth was coming, and it was going to be used up pretty quick,” he said. Assistant Chief of Administration Mike Clements said the alternative to using reserves would be tak- ing on debt to cover construction costs, increasing the nancial burden on local taxpayers. He also noted the district’s property tax rate of $0.04436 per $100 valuation for re and EMS services is the lowest in Harris County. CFFD estimates new stations will cost: • $14.77 million to build one new re station,

2024

$132.7M

$80.77M

$30.93M

2025

$114.3M

$84.38M

$28.55M

2026

$96.8M

$90.32M

$23.91M

2027

$67.4M

$98.48M

$29.94M

2028

$33.9M

$109.36M

$25.56M

$30M

$60M

$90M

$120M

$150M

including engines and ambulances • $118.14 million to build eight new re stations • $2.51 million to sta one new station • $20.1 million to sta eight new stations The CFFD’s operational expenses, which cover

day-to-day costs, and capital expenses, such as equipment and facilities, are expected to increase over the next ve years as it grows. While the district’s reserves will dwindle, Citygate projects a healthy ending fund balance each year.

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