SHELDON – Monday morning of this week, fire department officials, ESD board members, and the family of the major founder gathered on a construction site on the Old Beaumont Highway, just east of Sheldon Road and west of the Sheldon ISD agriculture barns.
Construction has started on a new fire station for the Sheldon Community Fire & Rescue, and will include a new station, offices for ESD#60 officials, and a training facility.
The building will be 15,000 square feet in size, and include 3 truck bays, 2 vehicles deep, so that a total of six vehicles can be accommodated. At first it is planned to house four pieces of equipment: a fire engine, a tanker, a brush truck, and a rescue squad. The project cost for the facility is about $10 million dollars, which is being furnished by ESD#60.
Fire Chief Sheldon Webb acting as emcee of the dedication ceremonies, and groundbreaking. He gave a short history of the department, tracing its origins to the Beaumont Fire Department started in 1955 by J. W. Perryman, and the Sheldon Fire Department, started by Paul V. Reed in 1965. In 1996 the two departments were merged. The new facility is named in recognition of Paul V. Reed, and members of his family, including his son Paul Reed, were on hand for the ceremony.
In his dedication remarks, Chief Webb mentioned that the facility is meant to keep up with the fast growth of the Sheldon area. He cited a growth rate of 27% over the last few years, and indicated that another station or two might be necessary in the future. Specifically, the growth at Generation Park will need fire service as it develops, he said.
Chief Webb noted that the Sheldon Fire Department now has 70 paid firefighter, the largest of any community fire department in Harris County. Firefighters are on duty 24/7, and will man this new station with four firefighters and a captain.
The new station is replacing one currently opoerating at 9035 Johns Road, Webb said. Station 1 is at 8407 C. E. King Parkway, and Station 3 is at 12911 South Lake Houston Parkway.
Webb thanked the ESD Board for their support. These include President Helen Lauersdorf, VP Daron McCaslin, Alfred Adams, Dale Langdon, and James Collins.
Also, the Fire Board Directors were recognized, including President Don Nesbitt, VP Curtis Roane, Jennifer Balderas, Jim Gamel, and Edna Webb.
Fire Department Staff include Chief Sidney Webb, Asst. Chief Roland Balderas, and Captains Daniel Grabill, Jose Munoz, Issac Pinson, and Zach Lopez.
Architects for the project were Joiner Architects, with principals Joby Copley and Chad Joiner. Construction Manager is Brookstone Company.