Show All Answers

1. Where are the fire stations located in town?

The City of Taylor currently has two fire stations in operation:

• Station 1 on the corner of Second Street and Washburn Street
• Station 2 at 705 Carlos G. Parker Blvd. NW.

Taylor Fire Department Administration Office is located at 304 E. 3rd Street. 

For non-emergencies, please contact Administration at 512-352-6992.

For life-threatening emergencies, please call 9-1-1.

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2. When do I change my smoke detector batteries?

The best time is when the clocks move up or back (Daylight Savings Time). Just remember "Change your Clock, Change your Battery!"

3. Why do both a fire truck and an ambulance always show up for a medical emergency?

When a 911 call comes in, dispatchers often are not given precise or complete information. As such, units are dispatched on a worst-case scenario. To ensure the highest level of care, LFD sends the closest fire engine (staffed with a minimum of three personnel) or squad (staffed with a minimum of two personnel). Williamson County EMS sends an ambulance (staffed with two paramedics).

No medical call is “routine.” Most require assessing the patient, obtaining their vital signs, providing oxygen therapy, and moving them, at a minimum. EMS may also need to place an advanced airway, administer drugs intravenously, or monitor cardiac conditions. All of these procedures are completed more efficiently when the appropriate amount of help is on scene. Efficient care is our goal, and efficient care often is the difference between life and death.

Unfortunately, units have no way of knowing what they will encounter on a call until they arrive. They work in a “what if” and “all risk” business. Responding to the unknown is public safety.

4. Why do so many units respond to “simple” incidents?

Dispatch always assigns units for a worst-case scenario. Time is also of the essence in emergency situations. Our response typically includes an engine or two engines and a supervisor. Other units might include Taylor Police patrol officers, Williamson County Sheriff’s patrol deputies, and a Williamson County ambulance.

Getting the correct number of responders to the side of the patients is the priority, but not all responders are needed to directly touch the patient. For instance, often times you will see two large fire engines and multiple other EMS and Police units at what appears to be a very minor vehicle collision. This is done to protect the citizens involved in the collision, protect the citizens driving near the collision, protect the emergency personnel providing care and all while facilitating the removal of the damaged vehicles so that the roadway can be reopened.

5. Why do fire trucks go through a red light with lights & sirens then turn off their lights and slow down?

Most likely, the call has been canceled. This often happens when the first unit arrives at the scene, surveys the situation, and determines that the request for assistance can be handled by that individual unit. Therefore, the other units will then be canceled so they are ready to take another call.

Firefighters will tell you, this cancelation always seems to happen as the big red truck comes up to an intersection and surprises the citizens in their vehicles sitting at the traffic light. It is often times safer to complete the passage of the intersection and then turn off all of the lights and siren rather than turn them off as drivers have already reacted to the apparatus’ presence.

6. Why do firefighters go to the grocery store together on a fire truck while on duty?

Your Taylor firefighters are always ready to respond. One of the unique oddities of the trade is that the shifts are 24 hours long. The company an individual firefighter is assigned to becomes a surrogate family. Firefighters eat together, spend 24 hours (and sometimes 48 hours) together at a stretch, have disagreements, laugh, and generally experience long periods of busy work interjected with short bursts of life threatening and split-second decisions. Firefighting has long been recognized as one of the most stressful careers available.

The Taylor Fire Department encourages it’s firefighters to sit down with each other at least once a shift and have a meal together. It is very much like having dinner with your family at home. Meals are often filled with lots of general conversation and lots of laughter. In order to facilitate some of these meals, the firefighters go as a group to the grocery store. They go as a group so that they can (and often do) stop shopping, leave the grocery cart where it sits, and respond to a request for assistance from the citizens.

Our firefighters are never far away from the engine or each other. They get no formal “breaks.” Even though they may be buying groceries, these firefighters are still available for 911 calls.

7. Why are the fire engines left running on calls?

In the fire station, engines are always plugged into a “shore line” to keep the batteries charged and the engine warm so it is ready to go.  This is not an option while on scene. Power from the running engine is required to run the pump and distribute water. It is also needed to control climate within parts of the engine to properly store and transport medications that may be needed during a medical emergency. The motor also powers lights and emergency flashers.