The Houston Fire Department’s newest station—Station 92—is now serving the George Bush Intercontinental Airport after a grand opening celebration was held for the facility Feb. 6.
At a glance
The new 21,000-square-foot fire station is one of three fire stations at IAH, said Steve Runge, the director of operations for the Houston Airport System, during the Feb. 6 event. The facility will be staffed 24/7, 365 days per year, he added.
Station 92 has features such as:
- Six fire-response apparatuses
- Administrative offices
- Access to the airport’s airfield
- Dorms for firefighters to rest
- A shared kitchen and dining room
- Storage and lockers for equipment and staff personal belongings
“[This] gives the firefighters the nice facility that they deserve because they’re extremely important to the aviation system, because the aviation system is run on trust,” HAS Director of Aviation Jim Szczesniak said. “The passengers trust that we’re going to make everything as safe as possible so they have a great journey, and that includes the firefighters here. If [firefighters] have to respond, they can get immediately right up to that runway and rescue people and save lives.”
How did we get here?
The original Station 92 still sits near the new facility, Runge said. Station 92 was originally located at 4300 Will Clayton Parkway, Houston, while the new station is located at 4500 Will Clayton Parkway, Houston.
The new station was funded through a combination of federal and HAS funding, Runge said.
Notable quote
“I just want to say thank you, and to everybody out there that’s been part of this: this could not have been done without you,” HFD Chief Thomas Muñoz said Feb. 6. “It started off as a vision, it’s now a reality. So thank you, and [I’m] looking forward to many years.”