Harris County ESD 48 Fire Department

11/26/2022

Share Your Holidays food drive collection continues through "Giving Tuesday", Nov. 29th at fire stations located below. Help a family in need this holiday season.

11/23/2022

The HCESD48 Admin. Offices are NOW CLOSED for the Thanksgiving holiday. We will return to business on November 28, 2022.

11/23/2022

We would like to thank the American Red Cross Texas Gulf Coast for their continued support! It was brought to the attention of our Community Risk Reduction Division that EMS crews were purchasing blankets for our homeless population during cold weather snaps. Our CRR Division reached out to the Red Cross and they graciously donated blankets to the department. The blankets will be stocked on our medic units to help reduce cold weather medical emergencies.

11/22/2022

We would like to thank one of our own HCESD48 Firefighter Jacob Fangue and his MC/Chapter Los camaradas westside crew for joining us in supporting Chief Santa's Toy Drive. The Westside Chapter has already started collecting toys at their weekly bike nights. We look forward to their partnershp and are grateful for their support in bringing a smile to a child in need this holiday season!

11/22/2022

As Thanksgiving fast approaches, we are urging everyone to use added caution when celebrating the holiday, as Thanksgiving Day represents the leading day for home cooking fires. More than three times as many cooking fires occur on Thanksgiving Day as a typical day of the year.

According to NFPA data, cooking was the leading cause of reported home structure fires and civilian fire injuries and the second-leading cause of civilian fire deaths and direct property damage, on annual average from 2015 to 2019. On Thanksgiving Day alone, an estimated 1,400 home cooking fires were reported to U.S. fire departments in 2019, reflecting a 228 percent increase over the daily average.

Following are tips and recommendations from NFPA for cooking safely this Thanksgiving:

-Never leave the kitchen while cooking on the stovetop. Some types of cooking, especially those that involve frying or sautéing with oil, need continuous attention.
-When cooking a turkey, remain at home and check it regularly.
-Make use of timers to keep track of cooking times, particularly for foods that require longer cook times.
-Keep things that can catch fire like oven mitts, wooden utensils, food wrappers, and towels at least three feet away from the cooking area.
-Avoid long sleeves and hanging fabrics that can come in contact with a heat source.
-Always cook with a lid beside your pan. If you have a fire, slide the lid over the pan and turn off the burner. Do not remove the cover because the fire could start again. Let the pan cool for a long time. Never throw water or use a fire extinguisher on the fire.
-For an oven fire, turn off the heat and keep the door closed. Only open the door once you’re confident the fire is completely out, standing to the side as you do. If you have any doubts or concerns, contact the fire department for assistance.
-Keep children at least three feet away from the stove. Kids should also stay away from hot foods and liquids, as steam or splash from these items could cause severe burns.

11/21/2022

We would like to thank Dave D. who coordinated a toy collection at a Kelliwood Estates block party. We are very grateful to their community for supporting Chief Santa's Toy Drive!

11/19/2022

Share Your Holidays Food Drive continues through Giving Tuesday, November 29th. HCESD48, Westlake VFD, and Willowfork FD are accepting donations at Fire Stations listed below. Please help our Katy community this holiday season. Donations received will go back into our Katy food pantries.

11/17/2022

HCESD48 Fire EMS, Willowfork FD, Westlake FD, and
Community VFD, in partnership with The Scharff Group Keller
Williams Premier-Katy, have joined forces for the "Chief Santa's Toy Drive". New unwrapped toys are being accepted at the respective fire stations to bring holiday cheer to a child in need.

Toys collected will be distributed to local non-profit organizations
within the Greater Katy Area. Donations accepted now through December 11th.

11/15/2022

In an effort to help our residents make their homes a safer place, we established a free Home Safety Survey program in March 2016 that has helped hundreds of your friends and neighbors. During the Home Safety Survey, our personnel will conduct a 45-point survey that covers a variety of items including; fire safety, trip/fall hazards, child safety, fire extinguishers, smoke and CO alarms, emergency planning and more. Recommendations generated by the survey are generally easy to correct and doing so could prevent a tragic loss.

This is not a fire inspection. The Home Safety Survey is simply an effort to help our residents learn about the most common fire hazards that we find in our response area and how you can help your family be less likely to have an emergency. Once the survey is complete, you will have a list of recommendations that you and our team have discussed as well as some ideas on how to make your home a safer place for everyone who lives there. It's our goal to build a long-term relationship with you and your family so if anything changes or you have any further questions our team is always available to follow up with you in the future.

To schedule a Home Safety Survey you can go to our website and fill out a request on our dedicated page (https://hcesd48.org/community-risk-reduction/home-safety-survey)

For those who live in Katy but are not sure whether they live within HCESD 48’s service area, we have a district map posted on our website (https://hcesd48.org/about). Many local agencies have started offering a similar program and we would be happy to put you in touch with your agency's contact if we are not your responding agency.

11/15/2022

We will be hosting a FREE Flu and COVID Vaccine Drive on Saturday, November 19, 2022 from 9am to 5pm at our Administration Building located at 21201 Morton Rd. To register for a time slot, please visit https://www.cognitoforms.com/BeyondLucidMediview/harriscountyesd48prevaccinationformscheduling.

11/11/2022

Today we take the time and honor those who have served in our nation's military. We are eternally grateful to all who have fought and served for our country. Many of our own have served in the military. We are both extremely proud and honored that they are a part of our department. Thank you for your service, your sacrifice and your bravery. Happy Veterans Day.

11/10/2022

Harris County ESD No. 48 would like to wish all Marines a Happy 247th Marine Corps Birthday! Thank you for your courage, commitment and service to our country!

11/10/2022

Do not miss your opputunity to join the team! All applications are due by close of business tomorrow, November 11, 2022 at 17:00.

11/07/2022

Let us inspire hope for those who need it most this holiday season! Join HCESD48, Katy Fire Department, Westlake Volunteer Fire Department, and Willowfork Fire Department as we support the 42nd ABC13 Share Your Holidays Food Drive! Food will be collected at participating fire stations (see flyer for locations). We’re collecting food now thru “Giving Tuesday”, November 29th. ABC13 will host a live feed on Giving Tuesday at HCESD48 Station 1 (24127 Western Centre Dr – near Costco) for the final collection drop-off date. Let’s beat the 105 boxes collected last holiday season!

11/06/2022

Congratulations!!

11/04/2022

HCESD48 was happy to support partner agency, Ted Heap, Harris County Constable Precinct 5 in their annual PJ Drive. Pajamas were collected for women and children to benefit local domestic violence victims. Thank you to our community members who generously donated pajamas to this worthwhile cause!

11/03/2022

This weekend ends. Use this opportunity to replace smoke alarms that are more than 10+ years from the manufacturer's date. Did you know we do a FREE Home Safety Survey and could even get your smoke alarms replaced for free?! Visit a our website and request your free survey!

11/01/2022

As we begin our holiday season, please join us in supporting our community through our annual food and toy drives. HCESD48 along with partner agencies will be collecting both food and toys at local fire stations for our Katy community. Stay tuned for additional details and location drop-off sites!

ABC13 Share Your Holidays food drive collects non-perishables for our local families in need.

Chief Santa's Toy drive collects new unwrapped toys to bring holiday joy to underprivileged children.

It's time to make the season brighter for those in need!

10/31/2022

Happy Halloween!!

Happy Halloween!

Make this Halloween frightfully fire-safe by following a few easy safety tips.

10/30/2022

THANK YOU for spending Open House with us! We hope you had a great time and can’t wait to see you next year!

10/30/2022

10/29/2022

REMINDER - Join us tomorrow for our annual Open House! Meet First Responders, enjoy truck tours, safety demonstrations and other fun activities for the family! Come in costume, see you there!

10/27/2022

Today, Battalion Chief Tharp presented at the 2022 Texas Fire Marshals Association Conference in San Marcos. He presented to over 350 fire marshals across the state on Leveraging Community Partners for Community Risk Reductions Initiatives. Chief Tharp and Community Relations Coordinator, Lia Hales work with many community organizations and businesses to assist with safety initiatives and funding for free safety training and education.

10/25/2022

Join us this Sunday at our annual Open House! There will be demonstrations and activities to enjoy for the whole family....hope to see you there!

10/21/2022

REMINDER - please join us in supporting our partner agency HC Constables Pct. 5 for their annual PAJAMA DRIVE. We are collecting NEW pajamas for women and children at our Fire Stations, now thru Monday, October 31st. All collections will benefit local domestic violence victims. Please see flyer for participating Fire Station locations.

10/20/2022

CRR

HCESD 48 prioritizes the “Community Risk Reduction” philosophy by providing educational safety programs, often free of charge, that benefit the community.

Community Risk Reduction (CRR) is the identification and prioritization of risks, threats, and hazards followed by the evaluation and implementation of strategies to lessen their impact. CRR is a new concept firmly rooted in traditional fire prevention activities. The main difference is that the scope of prevention activities has expanded from fire to identifying other risk factors that threaten the safety of our community. We utilize data analysis along with anecdotal information to deploy resources to solve those problems. In addition, we build partnerships within the community to avoid duplication of efforts while implementing the right tools for the job. The result is a division committed to efficiency and effectiveness in preventing harm to our citizens and community.

The CRR Team, often referred to as the “Community Team”, is comprised of a Battalion Chief of Community Risk Reduction/Public Information Officer, Community Relations Coordinator, and volunteer members who give their time to help support our mission in the community. We believe the Community Risk Reduction Division is leading the way for a safer Greater Katy area.

10/16/2022

Less than 2 minutes!!

FIRE is FAST!

You have less than 2 minutes to get out of your home if a fire occcurs, so be sure to PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE your family escape plan you completed during fire prevention week last week!

10/14/2022

Mark your calendar’s for our annual Open House! Join us on Sunday, October 30th from 11:00am to 2:00pm as we open our doors to the community. Check out our fire equipment, see live demonstrations, and meet your local First Responders! Please note only 3 of our Fire Stations will be open this year, see flyer for locations. Looking forward to seeing you there!

10/13/2022

Meet Walter! He was very excited to have the crew on Engine 1 visit his preschool. It’s not everyday you get to meet a future firefighter. We’ll see you in a few years Walter! Thank you to his mother for sharing this photo with us.

10/12/2022

Today, in partnership with Safe Kids Greater Houston and Texas Children's Hospital, we were able to check 15 car seats and install 10 brand new seats! We host this event the 2nd Wednesday of every month or you can schedule a one on one appointment with one of our technicians by visiting our website!

10/12/2022

Check out this FREE event for at the Children's Museum Houston!

Join us TOMORROW at the Children's Museum Houston as we host FREE FAMILY NIGHT in honor of Fire Prevention Week!

✅ HCFMO K-9 demos 🐕‍🦺
✅ Tours of HCFMO apparatuses including the HCFMO HazMat truck, "Big Blue"
✅Story time with the Harris County Fire Marshal Laurie L. Christensen
✅Coloring Contest
✅Give-aways
✅and many more!!!

We can't wait to see you.

10/12/2022

Harris County ESD No. 48

Did you know that we have a virtual Home Safety Survey? You can take the survey to ensure your home is safe at your convenience! If you prefer to leave it to the professionals, visit https://hcesd48.org/community-risk-reduction/home-safety-survey to schedule yours!

Welcome to our Home Safety Survey and thank you for your participation! It will take just a few minutes to finish. Fill in your information below to get started.

10/11/2022

Making a Home Fire Escape Plan

Today’s homes burn faster than ever. You may have as little as two minutes (or even less time) to safely escape a home fire from the time the smoke alarm sounds. Your ability to get out of a home during a fire depends on early warning from smoke alarms and advance planning.

Having a home fire escape plan can make a life-saving difference in a fire. Here’s how to make one!

10/10/2022

Two Children Injured when Vehicle Crashes into Katy Home

Two Children Injured when Vehicle Crashes into Katy Home

Two children were sent to the hospital with minor injuries after a vehicle crashed into a home off of Highland Knolls last week. Arrest is p

10/10/2022

It's Fire Prevention Week and we would like to remind everyone that “Fire Won't wait, Plan Your Escape". Have you and your family talked about your fire escape plans at home? Having a fire escape plan is a great way to ensure that everyone will know what to do in case a smoke alarm sounds and can get out safely. Stay Tuned all week for Various Fire Escape planning tips!

10/09/2022

This week, we are joining NFPA® in celebrating the 100th anniversary of Fire Prevention Week™ (FPW). This year’s FPW campaign, “Fire won’t wait. Plan your escape™”, works to educate everyone about simple but important actions they can take to keep themselves and those around them safe from home fires.

Today’s homes burn faster than ever. You may have as little as two minutes (or even less time) to safely escape a home fire from the time the smoke alarm sounds. Your ability to get out of a home during a fire depends on early warning from smoke alarms and advance planning.

10/08/2022

HCESD48 sirens will sound tomorrow at noon as we show tribute to our fellow firefighters that died in the Line of Duty.

Congress created the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation to lead a nationwide effort to honor America’s fallen firefighters. Since 1992, the non-profit Foundation has developed and expanded programs that fulfill that mandate. Their mission is to honor and remember America’s fallen fire heroes and to provide resources to assist their families in rebuilding their lives and work within the fire service community to reduce firefighter deaths and injuries.

Each October, the Foundation sponsors the official national tribute to all firefighters who died in the line of duty during the previous year.

10/08/2022

National Fallen Firefighters Light the Night

This weekend marks the 41st Annual National Fallen Firefighters Memorial Weekend 2022. Each year, the Foundation sponsors the official national tribute to all firefighters who died in the line of duty. Thousands attend the National Fallen Firefighters Memorial in Emmitsburg, Maryland in honor of the fallen. Last year, we made a video honoring those that paid the ultimate sacrifice as part of the Light the Night.

10/05/2022

Happy to everyone who inspires, leads, and changes the world everyday by teaching!

10/04/2022

Today we had an opportunity to meet with residents at Villas of Park Grove and share important safety information. We also gave a short demonstration on the gear our firefighters wear when responding to a fire.