PHOTO: Pictured left to right at The Woodlands Fire Department groundbreaking for Station 8 are Teal Construction Vice President of Operations John LeBlanc, The Woodlands Development Company Co-President Alex Sutton, Joiner Partnership President Carl Joiner, Teal Construction Project Manager Brad Johnson, Township Director Tom Campbell, Township Secretary Claude Hunter, Township Chairman and Fire Department President Bruce Tough, Township Vice Chairman Lloyd Matthews, Township General Manager Don Norrell, Fire Department Deputy Chief Jerry Bittner, Fire Chief Alan B. Benson, and Joiner Partnership Senior Project Manager Ricardo Martinez.

The Woodlands Township and The Woodlands Fire Department officially broke ground for the Fire Department’s newest facility, Station 8. The event was held at 8:30 a.m., Monday, September 20, 2010, at the future fire station’s location, 11800 Gosling Road. Scheduled for completion in summer 2011, Fire Station 8 will serve the villages of Panther Creek, Indian Springs and Creekside Park. Four firefighters will staff the station 24 hours a day, seven days a week, providing fire, rescue and emergency medical services.

“Fire Station 8 is a welcome addition to The Woodlands Fire Service,” said Fire Chief Alan B. Benson. “It will further benefit our citizens by establishing community fire protection standards of five-minute response times to areas of Indian Springs, Panther Creek and Creekside Park Villages.”

The 11,821-square foot fire station will include three apparatus bays, living quarters, six dorm rooms, an administrative office, conference/study room, physical wellness area, decontamination room, a ladder truck and a reserve fire engine. The station and apparatus are being funded through bond proceeds approved by The Woodlands voters in November 2009.

For more information on The Woodlands Township government, please call 281-210-3800 or visit www.thewoodlandstownship-tx.gov.