New & Updated Public Safety Facilities

The City is researching the construction of a new Aransas Pass Fire station and an overhaul remodel of the Police Department. The goal is to accommodate City growth, improve health for first responders, and adapt to the increase in staff and necessary public safety services provided.

Police Department Today

The existing building was constructed in 1993. Services have outgrown facilities.
PD has grown into areas initially designated to the court.
PD has no overflow storage; necessary gear and equipment are stored where available.
Police training has limited space due to no suitable training facility, and outsourcing a venue is costly on the training budget.
The public safety communications space is severely overcrowded, as you see.
There are no proper temporary/makeshift living quarters for times when staff cannot leave work (i.e. Hurricane Harvey).

Police Department After Remodel

It will provide for the current needs and limited growth by expanding into the existing fire station quarters.
It adds a training room, exercise area, proper locker/restroom accommodations, and a secure bay for large pieces of evidence.
It adds a proper storage area for necessary police equipment.
Investigators will have independent office space, allowing for more expeditious and proper witness/suspect interviews.
It will make for more sanitary and roomy public safety quarters for telecommunicators confined to their desk for 8-12 hours at a time.
It will add a secure area where inmates/arrestees come in and go out without heightened risk of escape/resistance.

Fire Department Today

The existing building was constructed in 1993. Services have outgrown facilities.
It was built to accommodate up to 2 paid staffers.
The current bunk room, housing at least four at a time, is less than the size of a typical jail cell.
It lacks proper equipment/storage space.
Cancer, a leading cause of health concern for those in the fire service, was not considered when the facility was built. (Studies show proper facility design lessens cancer risk.)
There is no room for growth, though growth continues and remains necessary.

Fire Department After Construction

It will provide proper living quarters for both male and female staff (remember, firefighters live on location for 24-48 hours at a time).
It will be built for growth.
It will be built with health in mind and cancer-reducing measures in place.
It provides for a training space.
It provides for more suitable exercise accommodations.

FAQs

Won’t the harmful aspects of the fire station also be harmful to police officers?

Not at all!

1. The harmful contaminants firefighters face at the fire station are not the station itself but the design. It’s about what the tools and gear used by staff bring into the station along with the exhaust of the trucks parked in the contiguous bay. Much of that harmful material carried in is carcinogenic.
2. The existing station design allows the exhaust to enter the station interior because the door from the day room to the bay opens directly into the bay. Likewise, the bay has no built-in exhaust system.
3. The contaminants of bunker gear are the same and enter the same way.
4. The new station’s design would put those items further away from the living quarters, and an exhaust-capturing system for the trucks would reduce the exhaust in the bays from entering the interior in combination with an airlocking system. An airlock is a compartment that permits passage between two environments of differing atmospheric pressure or composition while minimizing the mixing of those environments. An airlock consists of a chamber with two doors or openings, usually arranged in series so they do not open at the same time.
5. With the fire department moving out of the building and carrying those dangers along with them to be handled correctly at the new station, the risk is eliminated for the police department and greatly minimized for firefighters in the new station.

If you have any remaining questions or comments about the new fire station design or with respect to the safety and well-being of staff, please feel free to contact Chief Nathan Kelley.

Will my taxes to go up?

Great question! No.

This project will not result in a tax increase on taxpayers. The City has the debt capacity to take on this project.

Since Hurricane Harvey, the City has worked to improve its financial stability and we’ve made significant financial improvements since that time. Additionally, our debt rating with S&P is in a much better place today than it has been in many years, thanks to the finance department and City leadership.

Why not invest this money into the streets?

The City remains committed to improving our streets today more than ever before!

Streets are distinctly different from structural infrastructure like city buildings. Whereas buildings will last for many years, streets are susceptible to the elements and require regular maintenance and upkeep. Until recently, the City did not have a regular street maintenance program in place. Today and under the leadership of your City Council and Public Works team, a street maintenance program is in place. Each year, the Council plans streets most in need for repair or replacement. Additionally, the public works department budgets for regular repairs as needed

*** It’s important to note – We have spent the last 6 years, following Hurricane Harvey, repairing and replacing water and sewer infrastructure. We have obtained millions of dollars in grants to successfully accomplish these tasks. However, also in need of repair and replacement are the fire station and the police station. These facilities also are infrastructure and in need of improvements. However, grants for these projects are rare to non-existent, so it is left to the city to pay for this type of work.

Why the need today? We’re the same size City, providing the same services we have been for years…?

In fact, we are not the same public safety team today as we were in 2012.

Our fire department has grown in staff over the past several years. Additionally, their response capabilities through training and added services have increased, as well. The FD works as a supplemental first-responding medical service for serious EMS-related callouts.

Additionally, the police department has grown some, but more so, we’ve increased the level of services offered to the community. Chief Blanchard may soon share more details related to that improvement in a follow-up post, which will be linked in this FAQ question. Otherwise, please do reach out on the form below with any questions or comments you have.

Project Documents

These are initial draft copies and remain subject to change.

Public-Safety-Facility-Posting Download

Your feedback is most valuable!

We understand only some have the ability to make it out to the regular City Council meetings. Therefore, we’ve added the attached contact form for you to voice your comments, concerns, and/or questions. Questions that can be answered will be immediately. Otherwise, staff will share your feedback with the City Council at upcoming public meetings.

Share your thoughts, AP!