FULSHEAR, TX (Covering Katy News) - The start of construction on a permanent fire station within Cross Creek Ranch is underway, marked by a recent ceremonial groundbreaking hosted by the Fulshear-Simonton Fire Department/Fort Bend County Emergency Service District 4.
The facility will be at West Cross Creek Bend, north of Morgan Spur Road, adjacent to Chrysalis Preschool. A temporary station opened at that location in January 2022.
The company that is developing Cross Creek Ranch, Johnson Development, donated the land for the facility.
"This is a great benefit to the thousands of people who make their home here in Cross Creek Ranch, but also to the region," said Rob Bamford, Senior Vice President and General Manager of Cross Creek Ranch.
Cross Creek Ranch
Breaking ground on a permanent fire station in Cross Creek Ranch are, (from left) Fire Chief Gilbert “Herc” Meier, Jr., Brandi Crone, Jacob Rice, Ricardo Martinez, Daniel McJunkin, Robert Pechukas, Tommy Kuykendall, Precinct 1 County Commissioner Vincent Morales, Fort Bend County Emergency Services District No. 4 Board President Ed Krenek, Kim Stacy, Bob Bass and Buck Bass.
The 9,715-square-foot facility will have two bays and house an engine company with four firefighters/emergency medical technicians around the clock.
The station will be paid for by ESD 4, costing about $6.7 million. It will take a year to build.
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The station will have six dorm rooms and three bathrooms and a strength and conditioning room. There will also be four pantries near the kitchen, giving each shift their own pantry.
"This station is esthetically pleasing to the community and will blend in very nicely," said Fire Chief Gilbert "Herc" Meier, Jr. "The fire station will be built to the standard that the department has set in place, which includes a state-of-the-art alerting system for our firefighters, a patio where they can congregate and get fresh air, and a strength and conditioning room where they can focus on physical fitness. Most importantly, this great location allows us to take care of the Cross Creek residents quickly."
The Fulshear Simonton Fire Department is operated by Fort Bend County Emergency Services District 4, which covers 106 square miles with an estimated 77,000 residents. The cities of Fulshear, Simonton, Weston Lakes, and the outlying areas of Katy and Richmond. Including the temporary station in Cross Creek Ranch, five fire stations are located throughout Fort Bend ESD 4.
"We are excited to be a part of the neighborhood," Chief Meier said.
The temporary Cross Creek Ranch Fire Station