TAYLOR, Texas (KXAN) — After more than 20 years, the Taylor Fire Department wants to make some changes, citing the incoming Samsung factory as one reason.
Thursday night, Taylor City Council members will consider approving a $68,109 contract with a company, CityGate Associates, to create a master plan for the city’s fire services.
In a presentation prepared for the city council meeting, Taylor Fire Chief Daniel Baum states the department’s staffing and deployment strategy, which hasn’t changed in over 20 years, is “reaching its limits” with the spurt of new growth the city has experienced.
“The coming of Samsung and other heavy industrial uses brings new hazards to the
community that the Taylor Fire Department is not currently staffed or equipped to handle,” Baum added.
Baum said a master plan, expected to take about five months, would compare how their department stacks up to national standards, incoming growth, and the types of growth expected.
He said they’ll use all that information to make decisions on “staffing, fire station
location, equipment needs, and service levels.”
The fire department isn’t the only Taylor entity working to keep up with– and stay ahead of– growth in the city.
Tia Stone, president of the Greater Taylor Chamber of Commerce, said her office is getting multiple inquiries a day about folks either interested in moving or starting their businesses in the small town. She said before Samsung’s announcement, she’d get a few inquiries a week.
“What we have seen is a a energy surge,” Stone said.
Stone said they hope to expand staff later this year, and help train residents for the workforce.
“We’re working on being being sure we know what what skills are going to be needed, and then being sure that those skills are available for people to attain both youth and adults trying to reenter or or enter the workforce or change careers, or whatever they need to do for their families,” she said.
Stone said last year, Taylor’s housing starts tied their highest on record. She expects that to hit new records this year.
“In comparison, I think at [20]18 and [20]19 we had, if you added them together, we didn’t even have as many housing starts as we had last year,” she said.
The City Council meeting to discuss the possible expansion starts at 6 p.m.
