2 Katy fire stations expand to meet area growth

Two Katy fire stations are undergoing major renovations to meet the needs of the rapidly growing area. Willowfork Fire District No. 2 is currently remodeling Station No. 1 to make it larger and more weatherproof and adding administrative offices to Station No. 3.

“As the district has grown, our department’s need has grown,” said Robert Miller, board president for Willowfork Fire District.

Station No. 1 was built in 2005. Its renovations will include more space for personnel, a workout room, improved living and working quarters for crews and new safety features.

“You’ve got toxic fumes from the trucks. (The remodel) will keep the fumes out so crews aren’t breathing them in,” Miller explained.

The station will also feature decontamination rooms where crews can remove their uniforms following an emergency, preventing chemicals and toxins from the fires from wafting into manned spaces.

“Because of the materials that houses are built out of now, there’s a lot more hydrocarbons and toxic gas, so with this decontamination area, they won’t bring any of that in on their clothing,” Miller said.

All newly built stations have gyms, Miller said, but No. 1 lacked any kind of workout room.

“(Personnel) found ways to make it work, by working out in the garage, for example, but now they’ll have a proper gym,” he said.

The station will also be more resistant to storms, Miller noted.

At the time the station was built, it was state-of-the art, Miller said. But in 2008, during Hurricane Ike, crews had to back the engines against the bay doors to keep the doors from collapsing under the weight of the flood waters.

With the new upgrades, the building will be better equipped to withstand massive storms.

“This new station will not only be more efficient and much more safe for the firefighters, it’s also going to give the community a new safe haven in case of a disaster,” said Fort Bend County Precinct 1 Commissioner Vincent Morales. “The community will be able to depend on the district’s ability to serve them when there is a disaster.”

To accommodate the spatial needs of Station No. 1, administration will be moved to Station No. 3. No. 3, in turn, is under construction as the new offices are built on the adjacent property.

Miller anticipates that construction on Station No. 1 will be complete by the end of the year, and construction on Station No. 3 will be completed by February of 2024.