Federal grants mean more (and safer) firefighters

By Carter Hall, CSFD Firefighter
Thanks to three federal grants approved Monday night by the city council, the College Station Fire Department will soon have more trained, front-line firefighters available in our community.
The $1.2 million in grants from the Federal Emergency Management Agency significantly enhance the department’s capabilities by not only adding firefighters but also equipping stations with diesel exhaust removal systems and providing training for standardized emergency operations management.
One $911,476 grant was awarded through the Staffing for Adequate Fire & Emergency Response (SAFER) program and will help increase or maintain the number of trained firefighters we have available for responding to emergencies.
The other two grants, totaling $286,906, were from the Assistance to Firefighters Grant (AFG) program. The funds will provide source-capturing diesel exhaust removal systems in three of our fire stations along with the Blue Card Hazard Zone Incident Command Training and Certification Program (Blue Card).
Diesel exhaust has been linked to increased cancer rates and is an increasing threat at fire stations as well as fire scenes. The removal system limits the exposure of firefighters and their protective gear by removing exhaust from vehicle areas. We haven’t set an installation date, but we want the vital cancer-reducing equipment installed as soon as possible.
Blue Card provides firefighters a standardized system to safely and effectively manage emergency operations through an online, hands-on training simulator. The system also enables CSFD to become a Blue Card training facility. Blue Card training has already started and encompasses all personnel involved in emergency response. We have 161 people enrolled.
“I’m proud to enhance our capabilities by adding firefighters to serve the citizens, keeping firefighters safe from work-related contaminants, and providing training for use on emergency scenes,” Fire Chief Jonathan McMahan said. “I also thank the College Station Professional Firefighter Association for its continued advocacy and support of firefighter safety and wellness initiatives and its assistance with the grant process.”
CSFD Accepting Applications
The CSFD is accepting applications for firefighters who want to join the department as part of the SAFER staffing. To apply, go to cstx.gov/fire.
About the Blogger
Carter Hall has been a College Station firefighter since 2011. He earned a degree in leadership development from Texas A&M in 2005.
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5 things to watch at Monday’s city council meetings

By Colin Killian, Public Communications Manager
The College Station City Council gathers Monday at city hall for its workshop (about 5 p.m.) and regular (6 p.m.) meetings.
Here are five items to watch:
- Munson Avenue Sidewalks: As part of the consent agenda, the council will consider a $193,000 contract for an eight-foot-wide sidewalk along the west side of Munson Avenue from Dominik Drive to Harvey Road. The project was identified in the city’s ADA Transition Plan and was requested by a resident with access needs.
- Fire Department Federal Grant: Another consent item is a $911,476 federal grant to fund new firefighters for three years. The city’s required match contribution is $566,593 for a total budget of about $1.48 million.
- Fitch-Rock Prairie Rezoning: After a public hearing, the council will consider a request to change the zoning from Rural to Restricted Suburban, General Commercial, Office, and Natural Areas Protected for about 210 acres at the intersection of Rock Prairie Road and William D. Fitch Parkway. The change would allow for a 175-acre continuation of the Pebble Creek Subdivision with an additional non-residential component.
- 1700 George Bush Drive Land Use: After a public hearing, the council will consider a request to change the land use from Natural Areas Reserved to Urban and Natural Areas Reserved for about 2.7 acres at 1700 George Bush Drive. The change would better align with the property’s zoning and multi-family development and prepare it for marketability and potential redevelopment.
- Midtown Area Road Name Changes: After a public hearing, the council will consider renaming Midtown Loop as Durham Loop, Bird Pond Road west of Rock Prairie Road as Town Lake Drive, Pebble Creek Parkway from Highway 6 and Lakeway Drive as Corporate Parkway, and Lakeway Drive between Highway 6 and Fitch Parkway as Midtown Drive.
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Colin Killian (@ColinKillian) has been with the City of College Station since 2010 after serving 23 years as associate media relations director for the Texas A&M Athletics Department. Killian has also worked as a reporter and editor for the Corpus Christi Caller-Times and Lewisville News. A native of Hobbs, N.M., he graduated from Texas Tech with a bachelor’s degree in journalism/political science.
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5 things to watch at Thursday’s city council meetings

By Colin Killian, Public Communications Manager
The College Station City Council gathers Thursday at city hall for its workshop (4:30 p.m.) and regular (6 p.m.) meetings.
Here are five items to watch:
- Community Development Action Plan: The council will review the proposed Community Development budget and Annual Action Plan. The federal grant amounts for Program Year 2018 include $1.1 million in Community Development Block Grant funds and $502,414 in HOME Investment Partnership Program funds.
- Neighborhood Integrity Issues: In two workshop items, the council will discuss the creation of a middle housing zoning district and changes to the neighborhood conservation overlay district section in the Unified Development Ordinance.
- Bike Share Regulations: As part of the consent agenda, the council will consider regulations regarding Texas A&M’s dockless bike share program. The university introduced the program with 850 yellow bikes in March and will expand the fleet to at least 3,000 this fall.
- Holleman Drive South Rezoning: After a public hearing, the council will consider a request to change the zoning from Planned Development District to General Suburban for about five acres north of the Holleman Drive South-Deacon Drive West intersection.
- Harvey Mitchell Parkway Rezoning: After a public hearing, the council will consider a request to change the zoning from Light Industrial to General Suburban and Natural Areas Protected for about 2½ acres at 1726 Harvey Mitchell Parkway.
The meetings can be watched live on Suddenlink Channels 19 or online. We’ll post a detailed live blog on this site.
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Colin Killian (@ColinKillian) has been with the City of College Station since 2010 after serving 23 years as associate media relations director for the Texas A&M Athletics Department. Killian has also worked as a reporter and editor for the Corpus Christi Caller-Times and Lewisville News. A native of Hobbs, N.M., he graduated from Texas Tech with a bachelor’s degree in journalism/political science.
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Community grants have made College Station better

By David Brower, Community Development Analyst
Since 2011, College Station has received about $7.2 million in federal community development grants. As part of National Community Development Week, it’s informative and enlightening to look at the positive impact these funds have had on our city.
Our Community Services Department coordinates with other city departments, social service agencies, businesses and other governmental entities to ensure the grants are used in the most effective way to address our most pressing needs.