Fire Department

New Fire Station Planning Underway

The City of Lake Worth has started the process of evaluating the need of a replacement fire station facility for our community. The city has partnered with the Eikon Consulting Group to conduct a fire station feasibility study. The original fire station was constructed in the 1940s with several remodels taking place over the past decade. Since the original design, the fire department has expanded significantly to provide the highest level of service and protection to our customers, said Fire Chief Ryan Arthur. We’ve continued to expand and conform to the requirements and needs of those same customers. With growth comes a need for a larger facility to safely house fire personnel. The existing fire station fails to meet today’s life safety and fire code regulations putting personnel at risk of serious injury or worse.

Following some preliminary reviews related to the fire station study, Eikon Consulting Group made recommendations and has presented options for the city to evaluate moving forward. Brad Isbell from Eikon wrote, “There are several challenges with the existing facility and location.” The original apparatus bays have height limitations for the door openings and the existing second floor structure prevents additional space to be added which would allow for the increase in new equipment height and door openings. The addition of vehicular exhaust systems has added to the restriction in height currently. The second-floor stairway and access are most likely not compliant with currently adopted codes. This applies to the majority of the facility as well. The special adjacencies of the building are not providing the most efficient function for the firefighters to perform their duties. In addition, the separation of contamination zones is not maximized with the current facility. It is important for the safety and health of first responders to minimize exposure from dirty to clean spaces.

Due to the growth of the department, several offices have been converted to bunks and spaces have been re-purposed as necessary for equipment or storage. Additionally, areas in the apparatus bays have been occupied with hose or equipment storage. While every space is being utilized to the maximum potential, the importance of separation of contaminants, physical and mental health of the responders and the increased functionality of the space is not being utilized to the fullest.

The existing site limits the amount of parking available for the facility which presents a concern for serving the community and personnel accessing the building. There is limited space for public service or health evaluations. The bays are also only accessible from a back-in approach presenting potential damage to equipment.

The age of the building also presents a long-term energy efficiency and maintenance cost. The newer codes and design standards allow for more of a sustainable design and lower overall maintenance cost for the operation of facilities. The current facility will only continue to require maintenance and repairs that could prove to be a budgetary concern as the years go by.

There are advantages to considering relocation of the Fire Department to the site adjacent to the senior center that would address several concerns with the existing facility. A few of these are listed on the next page.

Due to the age of the existing facility and the challenges observed it is our opinion the site adjacent to the senior center addresses the concerns and provides a long-term solution for the future growth of the Fire Department to adequately serve community. 2022 will be a year with highlighted focus on fire prevention measures throughout the community.

· New one-story facility designed to meet all current building and accessibility codes

· Separation of contamination zones focused on physical and mental health of first responders

· Pull through apparatus bays improving protection of equipment and ease of use

· Expanded site access for Community access

· Improved special adjacencies, function, and available growth

· Improved safety and security for the Department

· Improved energy efficiency and building maintenance reducing overall facility costs

Business Fire Code and Safety Inspections

Our fire department has identified key initiatives related to fire prevention, education, and business life safety inspections. “Communication is key initiative #1,” said Fire Marshal John Sanders. The department has developed several printed documents with hopes these will assist business owners to better understand the true intention and primary role of the life safety inspection process. Everything from the city website to social media has also been revitalized to enhance communication. Information to include adopted fire code has been added to the website with easy access to all information. The development of a Business Fire Code Inspections guide seeks to help business owners identify the most common code violations. This includes extension cords and when to safely use them, fire sprinkler systems, doors and other access points, fire extinguishers, emergency lighting, fire alarms, and the Knox Box system. Fire Marshal John Sanders said, “our primary goal is to make sure businesses are safe for not only the customers and employees but also the first responders called to handle any emergency situation involving the building.” Marshal Sanders continued, “communication is so very valuable to ensuring transparency, so owners understand the inspection process, helping to ensure a successful inspection outcome.” For more information related to the overall fire inspection process or for questions related to fire prevention education, please visit the fire department website at www.lakeworthtx.org/firedepartment, or check them out on Facebook (City of Lake Worth Fire Department).

The City of Lake Worth and the Lake Worth Fire Department are both incredibly honored to announce Firefighter John W. Johnson’s acceptance into the Texas Task Force 1 program. TX-TF1 functions as one of the 28 federal teams under the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) National Urban Search and Rescue System and as a statewide urban search and rescue team under direction of the Texas Division of Emergency Management (TDEM). TX-TF1 also coordinates the state’s swift water rescue program and the helicopter search and rescue team which works in conjunction with Texas Military Forces.

TX-TF1 provides a full spectrum of urban search/ rescue and medical assistance to locations throughout the country and has been called to aid other countries following a natural or manmade disaster. TX-TF1 personnel are trained to the highest standards and are able to mobilize by ground within four hours of an activation and six hours if they travel by military or commercial aircraft. With a state-of-the-art equipment cache, TX-TF1 is able to be self-sufficient for the first 72 hours of operation. In addition, they are able function for up to 14 days during an incident with some outside support.

Firefighter Johnson will proudly serve as a Rescue Specialist for TX-TF2. Acceptance into this program requires years of dedicated training, education, experience, and preparedness; all of which Firefighter Johnson has devoted. We’re incredibly proud of his accomplishment and look forward to supporting him moving forward.