When you find yourself in an emergency situation, help is a phone call away.
Firefighters within Grand Prairie’s Fire Department are equipped to handle fire emergencies, rescue and search efforts, accidents on land and in the water, as well as rescue efforts after a severe storm.
Now, the fire department is a week away from opening their newly built fire house, Station 10 off Grand Peninsula.
“The station is more than 12,000 square feet,” said Chief Robert Fite. “The kitchen is state of the art. We will have eight dorm rooms, and when its open there will be a fire truck, an ambulance, and two boats that will fit in our garage,” he said.
The fire station will also be equipped with a “storm shelter,” or “safe room,” in case a tornado or emergency weather situation.
“The room can withstand 250 mph winds. Our room was designed to withstand a category 4 or 5 storm. FEMA passed an ordinance in 2015 requiring all public safety buildings, including schools, to have “safe rooms.” It is meant for fire personnel. It will protect us, until the storm blows over, and then we can go out and help others,” said Chief Fite.
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Several other fire departments around North Texas have stations with “storm rooms.” Fort Worth has eight stations equipped with storm shelters, and Irving’s Fire Department has them at their newer stations.
Currently in Denton, the stations that are being remodeled will get them. Arlington’s Fire Department doesn’t have them at their stations, but in case of a natural disaster they have an emergency plan in place.
Firefighters stress that the storm shelters are not built to house residents in case of an emergency weather situation. People who live near a fire station should designate their own efforts in regards to storm preparedness.
