City breaks ground on newest joint fire, EMS station in Northwest Austin
AUSTIN, Texas - The city broke ground on a new joint AFD and EMS station in Northwest Austin.
The Canyon Creek station will be at 9804 FM 620.
It's the last of five stations being built to keep up with population growth. These stations are part of a project that started after a City Council resolution in 2018. It aimed to build five stations in six years.
"This area is growing rapidly, as there are many other areas in the city of Austin. We are seeing the density increase, and it will help us to ensure that we have adequate response times," ATCEMS Chief Robert Luckritz said.
"This strategic location emphasizes our ongoing dedication to bolstering public safety in our dynamic and expanding city," District 6 Council Member Mackenzie Kelly said.
"I'm proud of our collaborative work to improve response times and wildfire preparedness in my district and across the city. Each of the five stations is particularly located in the wildland urban interface, so it is extremely important for this work," District 10 Council Member Alison Alter said.
The station will house four firetrucks and one ambulance. Eleven firefighters and four EMS members will work there.
It's expected to be done in late 2024 or early 2025 and will have multiple dorms, a gym, a walking trail, and more.
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"Once completed, this station is going to be simply amazing," Austin Fire Department Chief Joel Baker said.
"It has a lot of those comforts that the medics need for a grueling 24-hour shift," ATCEMS Assistant Chief Wesley Hopkins said.
As building gets underway, the departments will be hiring staff and getting equipment in place.
"As Austin continues to grow, it takes a network of ambulances. Because if one ambulance is out on a call or going to the hospital, an adjacent ambulance has to cover not only their district, but this district as well. So this really completes that network of ambulances," Hopkins said.
The other four stations that are part of that City Council resolution are in Westlake, Del Valle, Southwest, and Southeast Austin.