From left, Vern Hine, president of the LSVFD; Chief Bob Hardenstine and “JJ” Arida, president of Emergency Services District 4. Photo by Joni Simon

Founders of the Leon Springs Volunteer Fire Department remember a once “sleepy” village with the fire department nestled between a bar and a mobile home park. They’ll say they established the then-rural department after a little girl died in a trailer fire because there wasn’t a fire department close enough to get to her in time.

Since 1973, the community has experienced burgeoning growth and has outgrown one fire station with 35-year-old trucks that the volunteers themselves have kept running, sometimes on a wish and a prayer.

“You only need to look at the new fire and rescue vehicles, which will ensure that we’ll be much better prepared for any situation,” said Vern Hine, president of the LSVFD.

“The heart and soul of LSVFD over the years, 40 volunteers, also have received new lifesaving equipment, which will enable them to respond to all types of fire and medical emergencies.”

The fire station is now staffed 24/7, an additional benefit of the passage of the Emergency Services District tax, Hine said.

“Our volunteers have carried 100 percent of these emergencies until now,” he said. “Additionally, the new vehicles, equipment and projected station on Boerne Stage Road might result in lower insurance rates.”

LSVFD celebrated the arrival of its new fire trucks and equipment this month, but that’s just the first step in their plans, now that the Emergency District 4 was approved by the voters last spring.

“Our job isn’t finished,” Hine said. “It’s our aim to provide the type of facilities that will decrease our response time, which certainly is a matter of life and death.”

It’s not just a dream anymore. During their July meeting, the board members mulled over locations for two new fire stations.

“It appears we’ll get a parcel of property near the airport,” said Drew Clarke, commissioner with the Bexar County ESD 4, after an executive session. That land is located in the 28000 block of Boerne Stage Road and includes two historical structures. The LSVFD board is considering the purchase of 3.53 acres that would include a house they could lease with the option to buy.

A fire department at this location is a necessity, Assistant Chief Gentry Cooley said, because low water crossings and increasingly heavy traffic along Boerne Stage Road have made it impossible for firefighters at the current location to reach that side of the district in reasonable time if there’s a fire or medical emergency call.

“With 90 percent of the (ESD 4) population now living out near Scenic Loop and Boerne Stage Road, it’s extremely important that we build two stations, one near Country Bend and one on Scenic Loop near Cross Mountain Ranch,” Hine said. “This will cut our response time significantly and will save lives and property.”

The three fire stations will form the shape of a triangle in order to cover the entire expanse of the district, explained “JJ” Arida, president of ESD 4.

“We’re asking for business or private owners to come forward if they have one to two acres that we could purchase or possibly receive as a full or partial contribution,” Hine said.

The LSVFD is asking anyone who has land that might fit into the plan to call (210) 698-9877.