Fifty years ago this year the Klein Volunteer Fire Department was organized by a group of local farmers in the area. During this special year we will be reflecting on our past while moving forward into the next 50 years with the same dedication and spirit that has served our community for so long. As we begin the year, residents of RFPD 16 will be asked on January 20 to allow the cap on the Fire District’s tax rate to be raised from 3 cents to 5 cents. This is not a vote to raise the rate, but a vote to allow it to be raised, as additional funds are required. KVFD will ask the RFPD to provide additional funding for the Department starting in late 2001 and continuing for the next several years. The additional funds will be needed to continue existing service levels and meet the increasing needs of the area as the population grows to near 100,000 by 2004. Some of the improvements and additions included in the five-year plan are outlined in this article.

Klein will have on each fire truck by the end of the first quarter of this year Infrared Imaging Cameras capable of finding victims in thick smoke by looking for their body heat. These cameras are quickly becoming a standard requirement for all fire departments. The expense of placing these cameras on seven fire trucks will exceed $100,000. The Fire District is fortunate to have the funding available to purchase these cameras this year.

The daytime duty crew pool was expanded in January with the addition of two more paid daytime fire fighters. The expansion will allow for multiple responses at the same time. It will also increase the safety margin for the firefighters when they encounter large fire situations. We expect the volunteer firefighter ranks to grow exceeding 130 members as the population expands in the district. Volunteers will continue to makeup the vast majority of the personnel in the fire department into the foreseeable future.

Station 31, which has served as both a headquarters for KVFD and a fire station for over 20 years, will be retired and relocated. The new station will have more room for specialized fire apparatus, department administration and the public fire educator. It will provide quarters for both part time paid personnel and volunteers. Meeting and training facilities will be expanded to accommodate the increase requirements of the volunteer firefighters. Station 34, located in the Kleinwood subdivision, has served the area for 22 years from the same location. Station 34 is scheduled to be rebuilt in 2002-2003. It will be relocated in the general area of the existing station but will be larger to accommodate newer apparatus.

By far the most ambitious project will be the modernization of the fire truck fleet. The existing fleet has an average age of 12 years. More than half of the trucks are 10 years old or older. The new apparatus will incorporate advanced technologies for fire suppression such as compressed air foam systems, which give faster fire knockdown with less water damage. Two additional ladder trucks will be added to the fleet to keep up with the growing number of multi- story buildings in the district. The replacement / expansion program will cost in the order of $5.5 million dollars over the next 10 years.

These are just a few of the planned projects KVFD will be starting this year. Population growth and increasing density along with business and manufacturing development will place additional demands on the resources of the Fire District. However, if the building and modernization takes place as planned, RFPD 16 and KVFD should be in a very good position to meet these new challenges as we begin the next 50 years of service to our community.