In order to reduce the impact property taxes have on disabled and retired residents residing within the boundaries of the District, the Harris County Emergency Services District 16 (HCESD 16) Board of Commissioners has renewed and increased the District’s homestead tax exemptions.

The Board voted unanimously in May to authorize the tax exemptions for the 2019 taxable period. Residents over 65 years of age will receive a Homestead exemption of ten percent (10%) and a reduction of their appraised taxable property value of $80,000. Meanwhile, disabled residents will receive an exemption of ten percent (10%) with a reduction in their taxable property value of $50,000.

The old adage says an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, and when it comes to firefighting being proactive can save lives. The Klein Volunteer Fire Department and Harris County Emergency Services District 16 will be holding a smoke alarm blitz on Saturday, November 16 in the Pinewood Place subdivision near The Grand Parkway and FM 2920. 

The smoke alarm blitz is a proactive measure to ensure that residents in the subdivision have their smoke alarms inspected and replaced at no cost to the resident or homeowner, if necessary. Generally, smoke alarms should be replaced once every ten years. The smoke alarm blitz helps ensure that residents who have not thought to check the expiration dates on their smoke alarms have them checked and replaced. This service, provided by firefighters at no cost to residents, helps to ensure that community members’ alarms are up-to-date.

Harris County Emergency Services District 16 and the Klein Volunteer Fire Department are proud of their continuous improvement efforts which recently led to an improved Insurance Services Office rating of 2 in areas of the District with fire hydrants. This rating is the second-highest awarded by the ISO and puts the Department in the top 7 percent of firefighting organizations in Texas.

HCESD 16/Klein VFD announced in March that the Department had received the rating, and the video below expands on why that award was given and the Department’s assets.

The Klein Volunteer Fire Department will soon be operating out of a brand-new station at the intersection of Old Louetta Road and Landry Boulevard. The new station will be a serious upgrade to the aged, outdated station that was previously there said the station’s Senior Captain Matt Pentifallo.

The new station will be a pull-through station, allowing trucks to enter from the back of the station and exit the front, Pentifallo said. This will help alleviate traffic congestion near the busy intersection. Safety equipment such as upright bi-fold doors and ventilation systems will help keep exhaust fumes from accumulating in the firetruck bays, keeping firefighters safe. 

Harris County Emergency Services District 16 and the Klein Volunteer Fire Department know that the children’s safety is a top concern for our residents. Children taken care of by babysitters or home alone are safer when armed with the right knowledge, which is why Klein VFD offers Safe at Home and Safe Sitter courses at no cost to the community.

The two courses, which focus on safe practices for children at home or babysitting in the community, help participants learn a variety of skills from safe kitchen practices to basic first aid. Registration for both classes is required in advance and classes fill quickly.

The Klein Volunteer Fire Department and Harris County Emergency Services District 16 invites the public to join us at Klein High School on Sunday, June 23 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. for a free community safety day. Fire, EMS and police officers will be on hand to speak with the public and answer questions regarding community safety.

This family-friendly event will include a dunk tank, face painting, inflatable safety house and safety information to help families gear up for a fun and safe summer. Children and adults can check out fire trucks on hand and get information about safety programs offered by the Fire Department. Safety information will include safe use of fireworks, maintaining smoke and carbon monoxide detectors and more. Live entertainment and free food and drinks will also be available at the event.

KLEIN, JUNE 6, 2019 - The Klein Volunteer Fire Department and Harris County Emergency Services District 16 are happy to announce that they will be hosting annual American Radio Relay League (ARRL) and Northwest Amateur Radio Society (NARS) field day on June 22.

The focus of the event is to introduce area residents to ham radio operations as a hobby or during emergencies when radio communications can be highly effective in helping to keep people safe.

In August 2018, HCESD 16 was awarded a rating of ISO Class 2 by the Texas Department of Insurance and the State Fire Marshal’s Office. From the letter linked above:

“You are among the select few to achieve a class 2 rating in Texas. The community has achieved one of the highest Public Protection Classification ratings awarded by the Insurance Services Office and approved by the Texas Department of Insurance and are among the nation’s best.”

The Public Protection Classification (PPC) is the countrywide classification system used by the Insurance Services Office (ISO) to grade a community's local fire protection. This grade is then used to set property insurance rates. The public fire protection of a city, town, or area is graded using ISO's Fire Suppression Rating Schedule to develop the community's classification.

Harris County Emergency Services District No. 16 (ESD 16) has taken the first steps in upgrading the local traffic signal light preemption system in the North Harris County area to the latest Opticom™ GPS System. This project is being undertaken in conjunction with neighboring emergency services districts that have contracted with Global Traffic Technologies (GTT) to provide the upgrade to the traffic signals in the region.

ESD 16 has initiated this project to provide a safer environment for the greater Klein and North Harris County community.

Firehouse Magazine has announced the winners of its fifth annual Station Design Awards program, which recognizes outstanding architecture and design from fire departments nationwide.

Harris County Emergency Services District No. 16 (HCESD 16) was among the few districts awarded this year with the prestigious award. The district was awarded the Bronze Award in the Volunteer/Combination Station category for Klein Fire Station No. 8, servicing Klein, TX. The architects who designed and constructed the station were  Brown Reynolds Watford Architects from College Station, TX.

From Firehouse Magazine’s own article regarding the awards this year:

During the November regular meeting, the Board of Commissioners for Harris County Emergency Services District No. 16 (HCESD 16) approved moving forward with an Agency Evaluation and Staffing Assessment, performed by Emergency Services Consulting International (ESCi).

This multi-phased initiative would review agency performance, with an emphasis on staffing performance. The goal is to take a “snapshot” of current staffing, service demand, and overall organization, analyze and assess the “big picture” that is HCESD 16 and its contracted services, and then draft a report for the district Board of Commissioners with conclusions and recommendations for future demand and growth of the community.