Travis County ESD No. 2 hosts opening of sixth fire station in Pflugerville

Credit: Megumi Rooze/Special to American-Statesman

Austin American-Statesman
Fernanda Figueroa, Austin American-Statesman
October 28, 2023

Responding to growth in the eastern part of Pflugerville, Travis County Emergency Services District No. 2 on Saturday celebrated the opening of its sixth fire station.

The station, at 17221 Weiss Lane, will serve 77 square miles in northeastern Travis County, including Hendrickson and Weiss high schools, Murchison and Riojas elementary schools and Kelly Lane Middle School.

With the new fire station, ESD No. 2, also known as the Pflugerville Fire Department, will reduce its response times in the eastern part of the city from 15 minutes to eight minutes, Fire Chief Nick Perkins said.

"Having this station here really benefits response times because we have access to north and south on Weiss Lane," Perkins said. "Then we can hit Kelly Lane really quickly to head east and west."

Perkins said the new station will have 16 staff members, including EMTs and paramedics. He said that as the city continues to grow, more firefighters will be added.

The fire station has three double drive-thru bays, a ladder truck and a support fire vehicle.

The Pflugerville school district donated the land to the Fire Department to build the $7.1 million station. Superintendent Doug Killian, who attended the opening, said the decision to donate was easy and quick because of how it would benefit the community.

"We know that response times save lives," Killian said. "Response time means the difference between somebody having a major injury or not because of these men and women."