AROUND TOWN

by Emily Tilly photos courtesy Chief Ron Stewart

The Past Meets the Present

A community hub rich in Cougar history, the site of Jarrell’s new fire station has been home to fundraisers, civic meetings, churches, a school, and the volunteer fire department for nearly 70 years.

Photo courtesy Priscilla King

Times They Are A'changin’

In 1953, citizens began donating their time and talent to provide first response services to keep their community safe. More specifically, they founded the Jarrell Volunteer Fire Department in the Old Town district. The station was in regular use until the 1980s when Williamson County established the Emergency Services District (ESD). As part of that transition, the volunteer fire department was converted to a full-career station and designated the Williamson County ESD #5/Jarrell Fire Department.

Today, the general area of coverage for the district [map above] is 75 square miles of north Williamson County—the City of Jarrell, Sonterra, Live Oak, Green Acres, and Corn Hill communities, as well as several agricultural properties, quarries, businesses, and a 13-mile stretch of the I-35 corridor. Firefighters and EMS respond to all types of emergencies including structure, wild land, and vehicle fires as well as medical assistance, public service, motor vehicle accidents, and rescues.

As part of the changeover, a new career station was built at 155 CR 313 and the original downtown property was sold. But over the years, the need for services in and around Jarrell has grown considerably due to the spike in new businesses and housing developments. As leadership assessed the growth of ESD #5, it became clear that an additional station was the answer.

Location, Location, Location

As is common in first response planning, call data was used to create a heat map—a tool that uses incident statistics to measure distribution and frequency of calls, then pinpoints a location that will provide the most efficient routes and quickest average response time. The ‘hot spot’ turned out to be the same property on which the original volunteer station had stood decades before. Former Chief Mark McAdams recalls, “It's very fitting that this became the new location. The history of this property is very deep. When I moved here, it was the hub of the community. The volunteer station was used for all types of meetings and the site was also used as the morgue for victims of the devastating tornado of 1997. So, for many reasons, this property is already familiar and important to the community.” Given the historical significance and as it was the site of the city’s first fire station, it is fitting that the new station is now Station #1, and the current station has been renamed Station #2.

Plugged-in

Located at 212 N 5th Street, the new Fire Station #1 was fully staffed on September 11 to honor the historical date. The following day, the first ceremony was held onsite and on October 29 the community was invited to an open house and Trunk or Treat event. Chief Ron Stewart says, “We've had a lot of feedback from the community that they want us to continue to host those types of events. One thing we want to make sure we accomplish and focus on is getting out in the community and being plugged in to the citizens.”

Part of that community engagement initiative for the local firefighters and officers is being available for appearances at schools, day cares, and even birthday parties. While firefighters and vehicles must stay in service, a request form for appearances is available on their website at www.wilcoesd5.org. You can also visit them on Facebook.com/wilcoesd5 for information about events, safety tips, and traffic incidents.

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