City of Denton Celebrates Grand Opening of Fire Station No. 9

New multifunctional Aircraft Rescue and Fire Fighting (ARFF) facility to increase safety, improve response times on city’s west side

The City of Denton recently celebrated the grand opening of Fire Station No. 9, located near the Denton Enterprise Airport on Airport Road in Denton, TX. This new facility is designed to improve overall safety and reduce response time for emergencies on the city’s growing west side.  

Fire Station No. 9 is a two-story facility specifically designed for ARFF (Aircraft Rescue and Fire Fighting) trained crews and equipment. In a design-build collaboration between Parkhill + Martinez Architects and Core Construction, this leading-edge fire station accounts for multiple factors of safety both inside and outside the building and will provide dependable fire and rescue services for decades to come. 

During the event, guests were treated to a traditional Posting of the Colors ceremony, a facility tour, and remarks from city officials and representatives from Core Construction and Parkhill.  

“From a design perspective, it’s been great to create a space where firefighters can get rest and a place to train and prepare for the challenges they face each day,” said Parkhill’s Scott Nelson, AIA, the Principal-in-Charge of the project. "On behalf of Parkhill’s design and engineering teams, I want to say thank you to the citizens and to the staff for entrusting us with this great project.” 

Increasing Safety by Improving Response  

Before a fire station can be built, it must be strategically mapped to service the needs of nearby and adjacent geographic areas. Service areas without reasonable access to fire and rescue facilities may receive a response delay, and a matter of minutes makes all the difference in an emergency. This facility's location is crucial to responding quickly to disasters or emergencies at Denton Enterprise Airport and the growing community on the western side of I-35. 

Ideally, response times for the first engine to arrive on the scene of an emergency should be under four minutes, as recommended by the National Fire Protection Agency (NFPA). Previously, the response time for an emergency at Denton Enterprise Airport and the surrounding areas would take up to 6 to 8 minutes, according to Denton Fire Chief Kenneth Hedges. Now, the chief predicts response times to emergencies at the airport and surrounding areas will be cut in half to prevent disasters from escalating and improve survival rates. 

Designs That Protect Lives 

The facility's design is imperative to ensuring the welfare of fire crews within the building so they can respond as swiftly and safely as possible. The firefighters, paramedics, and EMTs based at the Denton Enterprise Airport will be specifically trained to respond to airport emergencies, including extinguishing aircraft fires, emergency evacuation techniques, and airport structure rescues. This fire station will also house ARFF equipment and vehicles, such as the Striker 3000, which contains thousands of gallons of specialized fire extinguishing agents.  

Fire stations, as Denton Fire Chief Kenneth Hedges explains, are complex buildings to design because the layout needs to give fire crews the ability to move quickly in response to emergency calls while also ensuring the highest level of workplace safety. Without this comprehensive and synergistic design in mind, a flawed concept could be catastrophic. Having a design team with a successful portfolio that included fire and rescue, AARF, and aviation gave comfort to the Denton Fire Department, knowing that any question or concern could be answered or addressed with certainty.  

Building Community Through Service 

Collaboration between designers and stakeholders is key to any project. In this case, safety was a top priority, and any input from the fire department was considered and implemented within the layout. Parkhill’s mission of Building Community means building trust with the organizations it serves and solidifying lasting relationships.