Katy City Council recently approved the purchase of a new fire truck, a pumper
that will cost $500,000. The fire department has come a long way from the Katy
Volunteer Fire Department that was founded in 1947. It consisted of 14 men and
an army surplus crash truck that was purchased from Ellington Field with money
donated by the citizens of Katy. R. G. Fussell was the first chief. Additional
equipment was soon purchased, including a trailer upon which a water tank could
be mounted, 500 feet of hose and nozzles for it, a 100-foot garden hose, 50
feet of rope and a 36-foot extension ladder.
In 1952 a new Chevrolet pumper was added to the equipment. Public donations in
the amount of $3,000 went toward the building of a new fire station on Second
Street as part of the Katy Town Square. Fund raising was a big part of the
department back then; minstrel shows were a favorite and very successful.
That first station was used until the department outgrew it, and a new building
was erected on Ave. C. In 1983 the current station was opened on Avenue D. That
building was improved in 2003, and construction is now underway to build out
the top floor and include a dormitory and fitness center with equipment
generously donated by BP.
Now there are three engine pumper trucks, a ladder truck, a rescue truck, two
booster trucks and three ambulances. Another ambulance is on the way.
In 2009, the name of the department was officially changed to the Katy Fire
Department, dropping the word
“Volunteer” because the majority of the firemen are now paid employees. In fact, only about
25 of the almost 80 employees are volunteers. Current Fire Chief Marc Jordan, a
Katy native, is proud of what the department has accomplished and the excellent
level of service it provides for the Katy community. Today, in addition to the
trained firefighters and EMS, the department still has a vital women
’s auxiliary unit, a junior volunteer division and sponsors an annual
nationally-recognized vehicle extrication school.
Several fire departments service the Katy area. The West I-10 Volunteer Fire
Department, the Westlake VFD, Willowfork VFD, Community VFD, Cy-Fair VFD and
several others in Waller County. The Katy FD serves an area that includes
properties outside the city through agreements with Waller and Harris counties.
It’s reassuring to know how the department has grown in the 63 years since it was
founded. We
’re grateful to all the firemen that work long hours every day of every year to
ensure the safety and welfare of the Katy community.
l
