BY DANICA LLOYD
How we got here
Stay tuned
• 1984: ESD 9 is established to provide taxing authority and support. • 2018: The department’s newest station opens in Bridgeland. • 2020: The CFVD and ESD 9 merge to form the CFFD, shifting to full-time personnel along with volunteers. • 2023: ESD 9 purchases land from Caldwell Cos. to build Station 14 near Hwy. 290 and Green- house Road.
In addition to new stations to decrease emer- gency response time, Citygate recommended bol- stering headquarters sta as the department grows “beyond the era of a smaller, volunteer-based organization.” Fillmore said department leadership has been laying the foundation for this expansion by stang all stations full time and building up nancial reserves in recent years. • 1962: The Cy-Fair Volunteer Fire Department is established.
As of 2024, about 87% of the district is within a ve-minute drive of a re station, Scalise said. Response times will decrease with the addition of eight new stations and the completion of future roads. CFFD ocials said Dec. 21 they already have land for stations 14, 16 and 21, but land acquisition for the other ve future stations will be a top priority in 2024. Because the local road network was not developed for eciency, they said they must be strategic about station placement. “If the land placement is not correct, then you can end up building 30 re stations instead of 20 re stations because you still have to maintain your coverage,” Ramon said. “So if we place them correctly, we will have fewer re stations, so less equipment, less people, less cost that way too.” This timeline was proposed Dec. 21: Phase 1: 2024-25 • Purchase land for stations 15, 17, 18, 19, 20 • Build stations 14 and 15 (2025 completion) Phase 2: 2026-27 • Build stations 16 and 17 (2027 completion) Phase 3: 2028-31 • Build stations 18 and 19 (2029 completion) • Build stations 20 and 21 (2031 completion) For each new station, the department plans to acquire one ambulance and one re engine. In addition to hiring administrative sta¢ over the next few years, more than 170 paramedics and reghters will be needed to sta¢ the new stations, according to CFFD plans.
A closer look
Calls for service
Annual calls for service at the CFFD have nearly doubled in the past 10 years from about 54 calls a day in 2013 to 103 calls a day in 2022, and as local hospitals have become busier, that growth has especially impacted paramedics, Fillmore said. At the Sept. 19 ESD 9 meeting, Gary said the goal is for medic units to be used no more than 35% of any given hour, but many units are operating overcapacity multiple hours a day. “We have to set a tripwire in our industry and say, ‘Wait a minute now; if they’ve been going call to call to call for six, eight, 10 hours— … did they get any rest or relief [and] how eective are they on the 15th call of the shift in terms of patient care ability?’” he said. Fillmore said since that meeting, the depart- ment has already added two more medic units to give sta more time in between calls.
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Fire Chief Amy Ramon said taking care of employees is a top priority for the department. This includes compensation, both physical and mental health, ¥exibility in scheduling, and professional development to support careers long-term.
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CYFAIR EDITION
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