Texas city gets USDA funds to build fire station

By Jay Ermis
The Huntsville Item

RIVERSIDE, Texas — The Riverside Volunteer Fire Department is ready to proceed with the construction of its No. 2 fire station off Sterling Chapel Road.

The Riverside department received a $125,000 ceremonial check for a loan and grant on Monday afternoon through the USDA Rural Development's Community Facilities Program.

Paco Valentin, USDA Rural Development state director in Temple, presented the check to Jean Goldin, president of the Riverside VFD's board of directors, and Fire Chief Gabe Johnson.

The three-bay station — named the Jim Scarborough Fire Station — will be constructed on the southern tip of the RVFD's coverage area, which includes 163 square miles.

The land was donated by Ann and Bill Hodges of Huntsville.

The distance between the fire station located on Walker off Farm Road 980 and Sterling Chapel is eight miles.

Johnson said the department makes 500 calls a year.

Monica Pierre, Area Specialist with the USDA Rural Development in Huntsville, said the overall amount includes a $95,000 loan and a $30,000 grant to construct athe second fire station.

Valentin said "this effort is part of the USDA Rural Development mission to help rural areas build and enhance essential community facilities."

"USDA Rural Development Community Facilities Programs help rural communities keep pace with the needs of their rising populations," said Valentin. "Riverside will be able to provide a faster response time on medical and fire calls to new homes being constructed on the south side of their coverage area.

"This takes a community to bring a project like this together."

Jean Goldin said "I think it's wonderful. We're so glad to get it and will be a big help to Walker County. It has been a longtime coming and something we have been needing."

Johnson, who has served with the department for six years, said the station currently has 18 volunteer firefighters with a portion of those residing in the Sterling Chapel Road area.

He said the station off FM 980 houses an engine, two tankers, three brush trucks, a rescue unit and a utility truck.

Johnson said the new station is needed and a "long time coming."

"It's definitely needed to help us cover that end of our area a lot more efficiently," he said. "At this point and time this station takes care of the full 163 square miles that we cover.

"The two stations will work hand in hand and help each other out."

Johnson said he has lived in the area for seven years and watched the population grow, especially outside the city limits of Riverside."

Johnson credits Dick Goldin, an associate member of the RVFD, with obtaining the loan and grant from the USDA.

"He has really worked hard in getting this done," he said.

Goldin said he is hoping the new station will help the ISO or insurance rating for homeowners in the Riverside area because "you have to be in a five-mile drive area of a fire station to lower your rating. We will now have people in the southern area who will be in that five-mile drive area.

"We will overlap with Dodge and Huntsville, which is building a new fire station Highway 30."

Goldin said that all is needed is pouring a slab and "we have the building bought and paid for and laying there now. This should get us to where we can pour the slab and build our building and hopefully have the station open by Feburary, maybe sooner."

Goldin said they hope to have an engine, brush truck, tanker and rescue truck at the new station.

Copyright 2009