Southlake fire training facility
SOUTHLAKE — Christine Elieson knows better than anyone why her North Southlake neighborhood needs a new fire station. Two years ago, firefighters saved her home from burning to the ground.
"We were hit by lightning," she said. "We were all home."
Elieson is glad to see the city plans to build a fire station at the intersection of Dove Road and White Chapel Boulevard. But she and some other neighbors are concerned about the building that's supposed to be built next to it.
Where you can see a field and cattle today, the city wants to erect a four-story fire training tower.
Fire Chief Michael Starr says firefighters leave the city for 24 days out of the year right now for training, leaving fewer people to fight a big fire. "With this facility, we can do high-angle rescue, we can do confined space, live fire training," he said.
Starr says the tower would resolve that problem.
Elieson agrees, but she wants it to be built somewhere else. "It's a really urban-looking building," she said. "It doesn't really fit in with the rest of the neighborhood, the rural feel we have out here."
Elieson is also concerend about curious neighborhood children. "Several of them said, 'That's the coolest building. I'd love to go see what's in that building. We'd love to have it there. It would be cool to climb up on,' so I think some of the parents are a little worried."
Chief Starr says the facility will be well-secured, and he showed News 8 some design improvements released just this week. The tower plan now has a roof to match the fire station's, as well as fake windows, to make it look nicer.
"That is a little better," Elieson said after seeing the revised plans.
The Southlake City Council will take up the proposed fire training facility in April. Fire officials are hoping that the design changes will change the minds of some critics.
E-mail chawes@wfaa.com
