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Windcrest Fire Dormitory Program History and Highlights
Since 2002 the City of Windcrest and the Windcrest Volunteer Fire Association have operated a Live-in program for its Volunteer Firefighters. This program is the only one of its kind in the San Antonio area and has been very successful in allowing Windcrest to have an all volunteer fire department while being one of the busiest fire departments in the area.
The Dorm as it is known was started by Fire Chief Tom Winn and Mayor Jack Leonhardt after a 2001 Survey of the Fire Department by David White of Fire & Safety Specialists. One of the main points in the survey was a need for bunkroom to house firefighters in the station to reduce response times. Since the creation of the department in 1970, members would receive notice of an emergency via a paging system then drive their own vehicles to the station then respond with emergency apparatus. As the number of emergency responses has increased from 150 in 1970 to almost 2000 responses for 2009, the need for firefighters and EMT’s in the station has become a necessity.
In early 2002 a joint venture with the City of Windcrest, Windcrest Volunteer Fire Association (WVFD) and the Windcrest Economic Development Corporation (EDC), a discussion was made to purchase a single family home that had recently become available just behind City Hall at 421 Dalecrest. Having purchased the house for $120,000.00 plus $25,000.00 in remodel costs in lieu of an approximately $400,000.00 bunkroom/ living quarters addition to the fire station was for all parties involved the best “bang for the buck” option.
The summer of 2002 plans were finalized and rules were put in place for the operation of the Dorm. The first members moved in after some basic remodeling that included turning the garage into a gym/workout room, the back porch was enclosed and a pool table installed. The initial layout had four bedrooms and three full bathrooms and a “Doghouse” room for firefighters not living in the program to have a place to stay overnight. Over the next two years the program was refined and rules were added including minimum hours required to be available for shifts, all members of the program must either work full time or go to school full time. In addition, timelines were set for dorm members to achieve Firefighter and EMS Certifications.
An additional remodel took place in 2006 that turned the dining room into two additional bedrooms and the main bathroom was remodeled into two separate bathrooms with showers. This increased the number of bedrooms from five to seven and from three bathrooms to four. The City also purchased new gym equipment; including Cardio machines with integrated TV’s and Cable in 2008.
With a new EMS contract with Acadian Ambulance to provide transport service for Bexar County and the City of Windcrest an arrangement was made to allow Acadian personnel to use one of the bedrooms as a combination bunkroom/office/supply room for their crews.
The dorm program continued to grow to the point that no more space was available for any new members to join the program, with 10 members living in house and the EMS crews. In the summer of 2009, the house at 461 Golfcrest became available after the passing of its owner Assistant Fire Chief John Meeks. John was a long time member of the fire department and with his house next to the fire station, the process was started to acquire the residence for a second dorm facility. City Council with support from the City Administration and the Windcrest Volunteer Fire Association were able to purchase the house with the Fire Association committing funds for some of the remodel. December of 2009 saw the second dorm placed in service after a total remodel of the kitchen, new carpeting and a large “Doghouse” room built for non-dorm firefighters to stay for night shifts. Mayor Rick Bruns made a generous donation and installed a new set of kitchen cabinets for the new dorm. In addition the Mayor is donating new kitchen cabinets for the first dorm to have the kitchen remodeled.
With the two dormitories a total of 12 bedrooms and seven bathrooms will be able to house up to 11 full-time live in members and four non-live members in the “Doghouse”. Future remodel plans include adding one additional full bathroom and turning a half bathroom into a full bath with a shower I the new dorm. The garage of the new dorm will become a dayroom/training room and the first dorm will get a full kitchen remodel and two bathrooms will be remodeled.
Both dorms are located less than 200 feet from the Fire Station, allowing members of the Dorm program provide a tremendous amount of staffing for the Fire Department and consistently rank as top responders in the department.
Currently those members who reside in the dormitory program have many great amenities in exchange for providing four – six hour shifts of Fire and EMS staffing each week for the Fire Department and City of Windcrest. |
