October 1, 2026
Five Stations, Six Years: Expanding Fire and EMS Services Across Austin
The completed Travis Country Fire and EMS Station (AFD 51 / ATCEMS 40) opened in July 2021 as part of the City's "five stations in six years" initiative. The approximately 15,000-square-foot joint-use facility in Southwest Austin supports around-the-clock Fire and EMS operations and helped improve emergency response in an area that had long lacked advanced life support coverage.
When Austin's rapid growth began stretching emergency response times, the City responded with one of its most ambitious public safety infrastructure efforts in recent years. Over roughly six years, City departments worked together to deliver five joint-use Fire and EMS stations across Austin, expanding emergency coverage in growing neighborhoods and giving first responders valuable minutes when every second counts.
The initiative began after Fire and EMS identified five growing areas where emergency crews could not consistently meet the national benchmark of arriving within eight minutes, 90 percent of the time.
"The driver from the Fire and EMS side was to improve these response times in these areas that were identified as most in need of additional improvement," said Michelle Noriega, Capital Delivery Project Management Supervisor with the City of Austin’s Capital Delivery Services Department.
Delivering five stations in six years required close coordination across Capital Delivery Services, Austin Fire, Austin-Travis County EMS, Austin Energy, Austin Water, Development Services, Real Estate Services, and other City departments. Former Public Works Director Richard Mendoza said City Council's commitment to the initiative, combined with weekly executive coordination meetings, helped keep permitting, utilities, real estate, and construction moving on schedule.
"One of the things that can slow down a project greatly is when decisions need to be made or obstacles are encountered," Mendoza said. "You need the decision-makers in the room to effectively mitigate those obstacles and keep the project progressing."
Wesley Hopkins, Chief of Staff for Austin-Travis County EMS, said the collaborative approach also helped City departments navigate unexpected challenges throughout design and construction.
"The collaborative group effort of having all of the decision-makers in the room at a weekly meeting allowed us to move through anticipated and unanticipated issues very quickly," Hopkins said. "I found that to be an incredibly elegant solution to really get these stations designed, located, and built."
That collaboration helped the team overcome challenges ranging from permitting to acquiring land for several stations, resulting in five new or modernized joint-use Fire and EMS facilities serving communities across Austin.
The Del Valle/Moore's Crossing Fire and EMS Station (AFD 50/ATCEMS 36) was the first station completed under the City Council initiative, opening in 2020. Located on Elroy Road, the approximately 12,500-square-foot joint-use facility expanded emergency response coverage in the growing Del Valle and Moore's Crossing communities. The station houses two fire apparatus, one ambulance and the AMBUS, while a nearby 6,000-square-foot building stores Austin-Travis County EMS equipment and vehicles.
Hopkins said the station's location near Circuit of the Americas and Austin-Bergstrom International Airport makes it an ideal staging location for those specialized EMS resources, allowing them to be rapidly deployed for large public events, mass casualty incidents and other emergencies. Designed with sustainability in mind, the facility achieved a four-star rating from Austin Energy Green Building.
In Southeast Austin, the Goodnight Ranch Fire and EMS Station (AFD 53/ATCEMS 42) expanded coverage in another fast-growing area identified in the response time study. Completed in 2024, the joint-use facility on Capital View Drive achieved LEED Gold certification and a four-star Austin Energy Green Building rating. The station also includes outdoor gathering spaces and fitness areas that support firefighter and medic wellness during long shifts.
In West Austin, the Loop 360/Davenport Fire and EMS Station (AFD 52/ATCEMS 41) strengthens emergency response while improving readiness for wildfire response. Completed in 2023, the approximately 12,000-square-foot facility includes four apparatus bays, dedicated training space and a fitness area for first responders. The facility is expected to achieve LEED Silver certification and a three-star Austin Energy Green Building rating. It also incorporates solar energy features and other sustainability-focused elements that support long-term operational efficiency.
Capital Delivery Services completed the 14,000-square-foot Canyon Creek Fire and EMS Station (AFD 54/ATCEMS 43) in early 2025, marking the fifth and final station delivered under the initiative. Serving a rapidly growing area of Northwest Austin that had historically experienced longer response times, the joint-use facility includes four apparatus bays and is expected to achieve LEED Silver certification and a three-star Austin Energy Green Building rating.
The Travis Country Fire and EMS Station (AFD 51/ATCEMS 40) provided one of the earliest examples of the five stations in six years initiative's impact. Located in Southwest Austin, construction on the approximately 15,000-square-foot joint-use facility began in 2020, and it opened in July 2021. The station includes four apparatus bays and modern amenities that support 24-hour Fire and EMS operations. The facility achieved LEED Gold certification.
One of the station's early emergency responses was a life-threatening medical call in the Travis Country area, according to Noriega. Crews reached the patient in time to save his life.
Hopkins said the station closed a longstanding gap in EMS coverage in southwest Austin, allowing advanced life support resources to reach emergencies more quickly.
"By adding these stations, we give patients the best chance," Hopkins said.
While the Travis Country station provides one compelling example of the initiative's impact, each of the five stations was built to strengthen emergency response in communities across Austin.
Hopkins said the stations were intentionally designed not only to improve emergency response, but also to support the firefighters, medics, and paramedics who staff them around the clock. Features such as backup power, dedicated report-writing space, climate-controlled ambulance bays, and additional sleeping quarters help crews remain ready during severe weather and other emergencies.
Together, these stations represent years of planning, coordination, and investment to improve public safety across the city. From expanding service in rapidly growing neighborhoods to strengthening wildfire preparedness and advanced life support coverage, the facilities help ensure residents have access to reliable emergency services while providing modern, resilient spaces for the firefighters and medics who serve them every day.
Looking back, Mendoza said the accomplishment belongs to the team that delivered it.
"My proudest moment for this is not for myself — it's for the team," he said. "We got it done."
For Noriega, the reward has been seeing the facilities support the firefighters and medics who use them every day.
"It really was a good feeling to be working on projects like that, that house people who are going to save lives," she said.