Q: Why is necessary to construct a fire station in the TSTC area?

A: Currently, our Waco neighbors in the TSTC area are more than five minutes away from the closest fire station. Moving a fire station to the area will reduce response times and fire losses. For the past few years, the fire loss has been significantly higher in this area as compared to areas closer to fire stations. The crew from Station #1 will be relocated from the University Parks Drive Station, which was built in 1969 and that station will close.

Q: What are the benefits to building a fire station in the Martin Luther King Drive and Taylor area?

A: The new fire station in the MLK/Taylor area will combine the equipment of two stations (#1 and #3) into one larger, more strategically located facility. This location will give the crew quick access to both East Waco and Downtown. The new station will house the crew from Station #3, currently located at 1400 Elm, which was built in 1960 and is the city’s third oldest station.

Q: Is it necessary to have fire stations within five miles of every Waco residence?

A: Yes! The National Fire Protection Association has a five-minute standard that the first crew to arrive at the scene of a fire be there within five minutes. NFPA 1710 recommends that 90% of responses by the initial arriving company should be within 4 minutes.

Making sure that our city has fire stations strategically located to get to anywhere in the city in less than five minutes will save lives and property. In fact, during 2006, when the crew arrived within five minutes, half of the structure fires were able to be confined to their room of origin.

Q: What is ISO and why does it affect my insurance rates?

A: ISO is the Insurance Standards Office, which  gathers data on city fire-protection efforts all over the country. In each city, the ISO uses its Fire Suppression Rating Schedule (FSRS) and assigns a Public Protection Classification from 1 to 10. The ISO then provides their recommendations and ratings to cities and also to insurance companies.

Having a lower ISO rating helps secure lower fire insurance premiums. As a community, Waco currently has an ISO rating of 4, but with these proposed improvements, we will become eligible to drop to a 3 and secure lower premiums.

Q:Why are our fire fighters are EMS first responders?

A: When fire fighters arrive at the scene of a fire, they not only address the damage to the property, but they are the first to handle emergency medical care. Making sure that our fire stations are near all Waco citizens will save not only property, but, more importantly, lives.

According to the National Fire Protection Association, the number of medical aid calls that fire fighters address has tripled since 1980. This means that our fire fighters are consistently called on to perform emergency medical care. It is imperative that they be located close by all residents, so they can perform emergency care as quickly as possible.

Q: How active is our Waco Fire Department?

A: In 2006, the Waco Fire Department responded to 9,452 incidents.