By Photo by Jean Papillon / Unsplash
By Lily Lederman | The Now Daily
College Station has opened a new fire station on Greens Prairie Road, adding emergency response capacity to a part of the city that has experienced substantial residential and commercial growth.
Fire Station No. 7 is located at 2981 Greens Prairie Road and represents an $18 million project approved by voters in the 2022 bond election. The city held the station’s ribbon-cutting ceremony on Sept. 11, with tours of the new facility offered to the public.
The new station is intended to improve fire and emergency medical response in southern College Station, where population growth and increasing emergency call volumes helped drive the need for another facility.
Fire Station No. 7 Is an $18 Million Project
College Station voters approved funding for the station as part of the city’s 2022 bond election. The project received an $18 million budget covering the development of the new facility on Greens Prairie Road.
The investment goes beyond constructing the building itself. Planning for the project included land acquisition, design, construction, site improvements and infrastructure necessary to operate a modern fire and EMS station.
For residents, the station represents one of the more visible projects funded through the 2022 bond package, particularly as growth continues around Greens Prairie Road and other parts of southern College Station.
The New Station Covers 18,200 Square Feet
Fire Station No. 7 is approximately 18,200 square feet and was designed to accommodate both personnel and emergency vehicles. The building includes four drive-through apparatus bays, allowing fire and EMS vehicles to enter and exit without needing to back into the station.
Inside are 12 dorm rooms, three officer quarters, a full kitchen and dining area, and dedicated fitness and training rooms. The facility also includes a community-use room.
Those features allow the building to function around the clock. Firefighters and emergency medical personnel work extended shifts, making living, training and operational areas important parts of a modern station.
The Station Will House 24 Firefighters
College Station says the facility has space for 24 firefighters. Staffing a new station requires preparation well before the doors open, including recruiting, training and equipping personnel.
The Fire Department previously outlined a two-phase staffing plan involving 24 positions supported in part through federal Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response grants. Department documents also showed preparations for additional paramedic training and equipment ahead of the station’s opening.
Those personnel will help expand the department’s ability to respond to fires, medical emergencies and other incidents as College Station continues to grow.
South College Station Has Changed Significantly
The location of Fire Station No. 7 is not accidental. College Station has seen significant development in its southern areas, with new neighborhoods, businesses and road projects extending farther from the city’s older core.
When the city proposed the station as part of the 2022 bond package, officials said College Station’s population had increased 34% since the previous fire station opened in 2012. During that same period, emergency fire and EMS call volume had increased 83%.
Those numbers were a central part of the city’s case for adding another station. As development spreads, emergency crews have greater distances and more calls to cover.
Faster Response in the South Is a Major Goal
Fire Station No. 7 was strategically located to improve response capabilities in the Wellborn area and southern portions of College Station.
Response time can become more challenging when a city grows outward. Even when existing stations remain adequately staffed, additional distance between a station and an emergency can affect how quickly firefighters or paramedics arrive.
Placing another station closer to growing neighborhoods gives the department another location from which crews can respond instead of relying exclusively on stations farther north.
Most College Station Fire Calls Are Medical
Although the facility is called a fire station, many of the emergencies its crews will encounter are medical rather than fires.
The College Station Fire Department responded to 12,008 calls in 2025, according to information presented to the City Council earlier this year. Of those calls, 8,382 — about 70% — were EMS incidents.
That means the new station’s role extends well beyond structure fires. Firefighters and paramedics respond to medical emergencies, vehicle crashes and numerous other calls in addition to traditional fire suppression.
College Station’s Fire Department Serves a Large Population
The College Station Fire Department says it serves more than 129,000 College Station residents while also providing emergency response to Texas A&M University and Easterwood Airport and working with neighboring agencies when assistance is needed.
Before the addition of Station No. 7, the department operated six stations across the city. Expanding the system gives the department another base for personnel, vehicles and equipment as demand for emergency services grows.
The department also maintains mutual-aid relationships with surrounding communities, meaning major incidents can involve resources from multiple agencies.
The Station Includes Space for the Community
One feature residents may eventually interact with directly is the station’s community-use room. College Station already makes community rooms at several fire stations available for qualifying neighborhood and nonprofit meetings.
That gives fire stations a secondary role beyond emergency response. Existing stations also offer tours where residents can learn about equipment and day-to-day operations, although crews remain in service and can be called away during a tour.
The inclusion of community space in Station No. 7 follows that broader approach of making some fire facilities available for public engagement.
What College Station Residents Should Watch Next
With construction completed and the station opened, the next question is how Fire Station No. 7 affects emergency response in southern College Station over time.
Call volumes, response times and continued development will help determine whether the city’s expanded fire infrastructure keeps pace with growth. The area surrounding Greens Prairie Road continues to develop, meaning demand for emergency services is unlikely to remain static.
For residents in southern College Station and the Wellborn area, however, the most immediate change is straightforward: the city now has another fire and EMS facility positioned closer to their part of the community.
Sources:
City of College Station — Fire Station No. 7 Ribbon-Cutting