New Poolville fire station opens bays to the community

The new Parker County Emergency Services District 1 Poolville Fire Station has four equipment bays, offices, a meeting room, and living quarters …

Chaplin Cliff Spain

Parker County ESD1 Color Guard members Rob Stone, Dustin Rowe, Justin Curtis, Derrick Self and Tommy Bond train and rehearse proper flag protocol and …

Poolville Elementary fifth-grade class students and teachers walked from their nearby campus to present firefighters with a poster signed by …

Uncoupling fire hoses in front of the equipment bays is a traditional act for firefighters to open a new fire station.

The dedication and grand opening of Poolville Fire Station 47 was briefly but fittingly interrupted during the  ceremony. As Emergency Services District 1 Chief Stephen Watson was thanking firefighters for their dedication and commitment, members of Station 48 in the crowd simultaneously glanced at their phones, dashed to their trucks, and sped off to join fellow Springtown firefighters in responding to a medical emergency.

The event on Oct. 16 gave community members and ESD 1 personnel the opportunity to tour the new facility, which is a vast advancement beyond their former two-bay metal structure with no office from their volunteer fire department days. The improved emergency presence is needed to keep up with the fast growing population of west Parker County towns.

Chaplin Cliff Spain

Cliff Spain coordinates chaplain and counseling duties with a staff serving ESD 1 departments.

"Oh, this area is growing fast," Spain said before the opening ceremony. "Lots of land and a good school district attracts new families, and this new building was much in need."

The department recently put a new truck into service, increasing their equipment to a fire engine, a tanker truck, two brush fire trucks, and now an ambulance.

"This station will have three firefighters on duty 24-7, 365," Watson described. "Adding an ambulance from the Parker County Hospital District on call here day and night is also important for the area."

Members of the ESD 1 governing body were also present and represented at the podium by Mark Jack, president of the ESD 1 Commissioners Board.

"With the addition of this station we have 83 full-time employees, and counting part-timers we have more than 100 employees. This is our eighth station in the district, and soon we will have nine when the Peaster station opens," Jack informed the crowd. "Poolville community, thank you for your support and thank you for your trust."

The ceremony closed with a traditional uncoupling of fire hoses. Firefighters from all departments present held two hoses in front of the four closed bays. After uncoupling the hoses, the bays opened simultaneously and emergency dispatch announced to the county that ESD 1 Station 47 Poolville was open for service.