Emergency Services District 1 study recommends three new stations; board begins stakeholder outreach
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Summary
A consultant study presented to the court recommended adding three fire stations to address coverage gaps across the district; the ESD board has not purchased land and is gathering stakeholder feedback before advancing capital steps.
Tarrant County Emergency Services District 1 presented the final study findings and stakeholder outreach plan to Commissioners Court on Tuesday. The consultant's report identified coverage gaps and recommended three priority station sites to improve response times across the district.
Study findings and recommendations The study, conducted by a consultant retained by the district, concluded the district has a geography-driven coverage issue rather than an immediate overload of calls at existing facilities. The report recommended three potential station locations to improve service: the Whiskey Flats area in the southwest, the Eagle Mountain region to the north, and an area west of FM 1886 near Lakeside.
Interim director's briefing Steven Watson, the district's interim director, told the court the study took longer than expected as the consultants worked to assemble and reconcile multiple dispatch and response data sources. "We were hoping that it would be about a 6 to 7 months time frame. It wound up taking significantly longer due to some challenges with acquiring all of the data and response to data and getting accurate data," Watson said.
Next steps and stakeholder outreach The ESD board has not acquired property or committed capital funds to build new fire stations. The district remains debt-free and has set aside capital for facilities, but officials said they will continue stakeholder meetings with contract fire departments and municipalities before making acquisition or construction decisions. The board also requested performance-based contract language to ensure funds for contracted providers align with measurable outcomes.
Discussion vs. action Discussion: Consultants' analysis of dispatch and response times, forecasted population growth and insurance-class impacts in underserved zones. Direction/assignment: District staff to continue stakeholder outreach and identify candidate properties while the ESD finalizes a funding approach and performance contract language. Decision: No land purchases or binding commitments were made; the court received the briefing.
Ending Commissioners praised the district for data-driven analysis and asked staff to remain focused on reducing response times while working through municipal and stakeholder concerns.
