Aubrey’s Fire Station 3 is officially open for business.
Members of the Aubrey, Providence Village, Elm Ridge and neighboring communities celebrated the milestone together on Oct. 8 and helped with the push-in ceremony for the new ladder truck.
“This third station is a testament to the strength, vision and unity of our community,” Aubrey Mayor Chris Rich said. “To our firefighters, police officers, first responders, city council, staff and every resident who supported this project, thank you.”
He spoke of the “state of the art facility” that he also called a “cornerstone in our promise to prioritize public safety” and what that means for the community as a whole.
“Station 3 is equipped to serve our expanding community with the latest technology and resources, ensuring our firefi ghters can respond swiftly and effectively to protect lives of our residents with one of those resources being our first ever ladder truck.”
The station, which was built as a public safety center to accommodate both police and fire staff members, gives a home base for a full crew of firefighters nestled into the Silverado development just north and west of Providence Village along FM 2931.
“Through our interlocal partnerships that we have, the new station represents more than just a building,” Providence Village Mayor Linda Inman said. “It symbolizes the power of collaboration.”
She added that the town is “deeply committed to our interlocal agreement with the City of Aubrey” for both police and fire coverage.
“By pooling our resources, our entities are able to provide a higher level of service and safety to our residents,” Inman said.
Both the building and the truck were blessed by Midway Church Pastor John Theisen.
The Aubrey Fire Chief Eric Schlotter and Aubrey Police Chief Richard Brooks, who worked on the design of the station together, shared their appreciation, too, for the public’s support.
“This facility represents the city of Aubrey’s commitment to excellence,” Brooks said.
Schlotter thanked the elected officials and City Manager Charles Kreidler, among others, for the new facility, which has already proven to be in a pivotal spot for improving service.
Two weeks before the offi cial opening, the crew coming from Station 3 responded to a cardiac arrest call.
“They had a response time of less than four minutes, and they were able to save the person’s life,” Schlotter said. “Had this station not been open, the response time would have been eight to 10 minutes, and the outcome would most likely have not been positive.”
Kreidler, who himself used to be the Aubrey Police Chief, took the time to thank the people “who will operate from this station.”
“Thank you for what you do every single day,” he said. “This facility is more than just bricks and mortar; it’s a place built for service, safety and community.”
State Rep. Jared Patterson, R-Frisco, brought a flag flown about the capitol in Austin and presented it to Schlotter and Brooks.
The Aubrey Fire Department members are happy about their new facility, which is being staffed with a mix of long-term department members and fresh faces to the department.
Logan Pursur, battalion chief for B Shift who has been with AFD for about 17 years, said he’s thrilled about the new station.
“I love it,” he said. “It’s long overdue.”
A mixture of long-term residents and some new to the Ranch Cities area also turned out to tour the building.
“I can remember when we didn’t even have a fire department; I mean, it wasn’t even volunteer,” said Evalois Owens, the namesake of the Aubrey middle school just north of the new station. “My dad actually helped start the first volunteer fire department. It’s exciting.”
Providence Village Fallon Fox brought her two sons, Riggins and Ryder, and loved seeing all of the support for her community’s first responders.
“My son absolutely loves the firetrucks and engines and whatnot,” she said. “We’ve lived in the community about 60 days, and we’ve actually had them come out. … It was really exciting to have them so close by and response time was amazing.”
Officials from neighboring cities also made their way to the celebration, including Pilot Point Mayor Chad Major.
“When it comes to protecting the public safety, there are no boundaries,” he said. “We help each other out, and that’s what this is about.”
Inside, in addition to the custom-made tables crafted by Chandler Cabinets for both the police and fire sides, is a picture of the department’s first ladder truck in front of the historic Peanut Dryer in Downtown Aubrey.
“That’s our biggest battle,” Rich said. “As these new buildings come in and they’re further away from downtown is making them feel like they’re part of [Aubrey]. This is a situation where the general public won’t really see this, but we’ve got to tie them together wherever we can.”
Abigail Allen/The Post-Signal
