Flower Mound council approves roughly $1.4 million renovation after engineers find failed trusses at Fire Station 5

The Flower Mound Town Council unanimously approved a roughly $1.4 million renovation for Fire Station 5 after engineers found failed roof trusses that made parts of the building unsafe for occupancy, Chief Henley said at a special meeting.

Engineers determined that wood trusses in the station’s apparatus bay had failed, Chief Henley told the council, and staff installed shoring and struts to keep one bay operable while the town pursued an emergency contract to address the problem. “The trusses had failed,” Henley said, describing emergency repairs and the decision to pursue a full roof replacement and other structural work.

The approval covers reconstruction of the affected bay and associated mechanical and electrical work, a new metal roof to extend service life, a full bay exhaust system for firefighter safety and other upgrades; the chief said the package reflects the higher cost of doing demolition and reconstruction while maintaining emergency response capability. Henley told the council the scope the town is proposing is about $1,400,000.

During discussion, Dean Larson, construction manager with CIP, told council members the truss manufacturer went out of business and that the town lacks engineering records and warranty remedies. “The truss manufacturer that went out of business … we have no records,” Larson said, explaining that the firm’s assets had been sold and engineering documentation was not available.

Council members asked whether the failure was a design or installation issue and pressed staff to ensure future fire station designs are vetted more rigorously. Henley and CIP staff said future station projects are being vetted and that staff reviewed Station 4 and other facilities to confirm they are not showing the same failure patterns.

A motion to approve the renovation (item I‑1) was made and seconded and passed by unanimous roll-call vote as read by the clerk. The council and staff emphasized that the department has continued to respond during repairs and that preserving at least one operable bay during construction was a priority.

Next steps described by staff include finalizing the contract and executing the renovation work; staff also said they will continue coordination with CIP and facilities to document records and avoid recurrence.