TO TEMPORARILY SHUT DOWN. STILL NO WORD ON HOW THAT FIRE
STARTED.
STARTED. >>> YOU MAY HAVE AN EMERGENCY
SERVICES DISTRICT WHERE YOU
LIVE.
LIVE. IN SPRING THEY’VE GOT ONE TO
FUND THE FIRE DEPARTMENT.
IT’S ESD NUMBER 7 AND THEY’RE
SPENDING A LOT OF YOUR TAX
DOLLARS.
DOLLARS. >> THEY’RE THE MOST INDEBTED IN
THE STATE.
THE STATE. BUT ARE THEY PAYING DIFFICULT
DEPARTMENTS FOR RESIDENTS.
>> CHANNEL 2 INVESTIGATOR
JOEL EISENBAUM HAS THE STORY NOW
BEHIND THE NUMBERS.
>> Reporter: HE WAS A
37-YEAR-OLD PARAMEDIC WHO ON
JANUARY 10th, 2018, WALKED
INTO HIS FATHER’S HOME AND
COLLAPSED.
COLLAPSED. >> I DON’T KNOW IF THIS WILL
EVER LEAVE ME.
THERE ARE A LOT OF DAYS WHERE I
JUST SIT HERE, JUST CRYING.
>> Reporter: IT’S NOT CLEAR WHAT
KILLED DAVID, JR., BUT HIS
FATHER IS CONVINCED THE SPRING
FIRE DEPARTMENT FAILED HIM.
>> I SHOULD HAVE HAD THE FIRE
DEPARTMENT ON MY DOOR STOP
WITHIN A A MINUTE AND IT DIDN’T.
>> Reporter: THE FIRE STATION IS
.2 MILES.
.2 MILES. BUT ON THE DAY OF THE EMERGENCY
ENGINE 78 NEVER RESPONDED,
BECAUSE THE VOLUNTEERS MANNING
IT NEVER REPORTED TO THE
STATION.
STATION. >> ON THAT PARTICULAR DAY THEY
WEREN’T AVAILABLE.
WEREN’T AVAILABLE. IF ONE OF MY CHILDREN WAS
INVOLVED IN THIS SAME SITUATION,
I WOULD PROBABLY BE DEVASTATED.
>> WITH THAT BEING SAID, DO YOU
FEEL LIKE YOUR DEPARTMENT DID
ITS JOB THAT DAY?
>> YES.
>> YES. >> Reporter: THAT DAY ANOTHER
FIRE ENGINE 70, 3 1/2 MILES
AWAY, BUT THIS TIME STAFFED BY
PAID FIRE FIGHTERS, RESPONDED IN
SIX MINUTES, 58 SECONDS.
WITHIN THE NATIONAL STANDARD.
A DEPUTY CONSTABLE ARRIVED ON
THE SCENE MINUTES EARLIER.
>> WHAT GOOD IS THE STATION IF
IT’S NOT MANNED?
>> Reporter: IN THE MONTHS SINCE
THE DEATH, THE SPRING FIRE
DEPARTMENT HAS MADE
IMPROVEMENTS.
IMPROVEMENTS. STATION 78 IS NOW STAFFED AROUND
THE CLOCK WITH PAID FIRE
FIGHTERS.
FIGHTERS. IT’S BEEN A GAME-CHANGER,
RAISING RESPONSE RATES FROM 6%
TO 95% YEAR OVER YEAR.
>> I BELIEVE THAT BY THE END OF
THIS MONTH, AUGUST, ALL THE
STATIONS WILL HAVE 24/7 PAID
STAFFING.
STAFFING. >> Reporter: ARE THERE GOING TO
BE EMERGENCY CALLS WHERE THE
TRUCK DOESN’T MAKE IT BECAUSE
IT’S VOLUNTEERS MANNING THE
TRUCK?
TRUCK? WILL THAT STILL HAPPEN?
>> NO.
>> NO. >> Reporter: IT DOESN’T COME
CHEAP AND TAXPAYERS FOOT THE
BILL BY WAY OF PROPERTY AND
SALES TAXES.
SALES TAXES. THAT MONEY IS DOLLED OUT BY ESD7
AND ESD7 CARRIES MORE LONG-TERM
DEBT THAN ANY OTHER ESD IN
TEXAS.
TEXAS. WHY SO MUCH DEBT?
>> SEVEN NEW STATIONS.
TWO MAJOR RENOVATIONS AND AN
ADMINISTRATION OFFICE.
ADMINISTRATION OFFICE. >> Reporter: WITHIN THE LAST
DECADE, NEARLY EVERYTHING IS
BRAND NEW AND THE CROWN JEWEL,
HURRICANE RESISTANT STATION 74
IS 8 TO OPEN THIS MONTH WITH AN
$8 MILLION PRICE TAG.
>> THERE ISN’T ANY WAY TO BUILD
A BUILDING CHEAPLY.
>> Reporter: THEY SPENT NEARLY
TWICE WHAT THEY BUDGETED.
THEY WERE OFF BY $16.7 MILLION.
>> YOU’RE RIGHT.
THERE ARE SOME HERE THAT DO HAVE
FAIRLY SUBSTANTIAL DIFFERENCE IN
THE BUDGET VERSUS THE ACTUAL FOR
THE YEAR.
THE YEAR. >> Reporter: SPRING FIRE
DEPARTMENT SPENT $277,000 TO
UPGRADE THEIR PHONES TO INCLUDE
VIDEO CONFERENCING CALLING.
IS THAT CRITICAL?
>> WHAT DO YOU WANT US TO USE?
TIN CANS AND STRING SOME OF.
>> Reporter: HOW ABOUT SKYPE
LIKE EVERYBODY ELSE.
>> WE JUST KEEP THEM IN THEIR
STATIONS SO THEY’RE ABLE TO
RESPOND IN A TIMELY MANNER.
>> Reporter: BUT OTHER EXPENSES
LIKE A NEWSLETTER FOR 28 GRAND,
A SNAZZY REON REDESIGNED WEBSITE
FOR MORE THAN $23,000.
AND FACEBOOK ADS WHICH ARE
CHARGED QUARTERLY AT A FEW
HUNDRED BUCKS A POP.
HAVE A MORE TENUOUS CONNECTION
TO THE MISSION OF EMERGENCY
RESPONSE?
RESPONSE? >> WE WANT ASSURANCES THAT THE
PUBLIC ENTITY IS BEING A GOOD
STEWARD OF THE MONEY WE’RE
SENDING IN.
SENDING IN. >> RIGHT.
>> RIGHT. >> Reporter: DO YOU BELIEVE
THAT’S HAPPENING?
THAT’S HAPPENING? >> YES.
>> YES. YES, ABSOLUTELY.
YES, ABSOLUTELY. WITHOUT A DOUBT.
>> Reporter: HE ARGUES TAX
DOLLARS SHOULD BE FOCUSED
FILLING FIRE STATIONS WITH PAID
FIRE FIGHTERS.
FIRE FIGHTERS. SPRING SAYS THEY ARE.
20 NEW FULL-TYPE POSITIONS
BETWEEN THIS YEAR AND NEXT.