San Marcos Fire Station #2 Nears Completion

Nicholas Vanecek | Reporter

The New Fire Station #2 has been in development since the San Marcos City Council approved a budget amendment for the project in November 2019 at the donated land by La Cima’s master plan community off Ranch Road 12.

Les Stephens, the Chief of the San Marcos Fire Department, talks about one huge benefit due to the relocation of station #2 is the fire department will be able to better serve the city of San Marcos.

According to Stephens, before the relocation, the current station and the downtown station on Hutchinson shared about 50% of the same coverage area.

Stephens says the new fire station is said to have many improvements compared to the old fire station #2 that was built back in 1954.

A minor adjustment like the bay doors being resized for modern-day apparatus’s, or having to special order the equipment due to the old bay door size will be something the firefighters will not have to worry about with the new station.

Not only will the new station assist in making things safer for the community, but also for the firefighters themselves.

The new station will feature a special exhaust for the apparatus to keep the firefighters safe from inhaling soot and other chemicals.

The force capture vehicle exhaust removal system will expel the exhaust straight out of the station and away from any living quarters for the firefighters.

Stephens mentions the addition of four new status screens, which will give the firefighters a constant awareness of what is going on with current police calls around the city.

The new status screens also display text and read the address as it is being dispatched which will allow for quicker response rates.

Typically, the fire department would have to rely on hearing the information; being able to read it as it comes into the station will help the firefighters improve accuracy and timeliness with where they need to respond.

When asked about what it takes to be someone as selfless and heroic as a firefighter, Stephens replied, “In our day in age, a lot of people want to point to professional athletes, musicians, actors, and people with much more prominent positions in society.

They often want to hold them up as role models. Then often you hear those people denouncing that, and saying that they are not role models and do not want to hold their life to those standards.”

“Our firefighters welcome that. They welcome that position as a role model in society. We actually welcome the community, especially that of kids and young adults, to look closely at what we are doing, how we operate and conduct ourselves, and to pattern themselves after that. In the world we live in today there is a need for someone to emulate, and I think our firefighters fit that need very well.”

The new fire station #2 is planned to be opening around December 18 for a grand opening hosted by the City of San Marcos Fire Department.

Stephens is inviting residents to come and check out the new facility when it is finally open.