Ponderosa Fire Department

What Ponderosa Fire Department does

Ponderosa Fire Department is a public combination fire department operating as Harris County Emergency Service District #28, a political subdivision of Harris County, Texas established under the Texas Health and Safety Code in 1972. The department delivers fire suppression, emergency medical response, rescue operations, and fire prevention education to residents and businesses within the ESD #28 boundaries in the Spring/Houston, Texas area. Operations are conducted through three fire stations — Station 61 (headquarters, 17061 Rolling Creek Dr, Houston), Station 62 (4362 Louetta Road, Spring, which houses an I-Beam from the 2001 World Trade Center), and Station 63 with an attached Training Facility (21455 Imperial Valley, Houston) — supported by 9-1-1 dispatch via the Cypress Creek EMS Communications System and coordinated mutual response with neighboring fire agencies.

The organization runs a hybrid staffing model combining volunteers organized through the Ponderosa Volunteer Fire Association (PVFA) with part-time and full-time paid firefighters, under the leadership of Chief Fred Windisch and governance by the PVFA Board and the ESD #28 Board of Directors. Funding flows primarily from property taxes collected by ESD #28, supplemented by the PVFA, with services delivered free of charge to residents. The department jointly responds to over 2,300 emergencies annually with neighboring agencies in a seamless red-truck/green-truck interoperability system.

In September 2019 the department achieved an ISO Public Protection Class rating of 2, placing it in the top 4% of U.S. fire and rescue agencies and directly reducing homeowners' insurance premiums within the district. Station 62 received a Bronze Award in Fire Chief Magazine's Station Style Design Award for volunteer/combination agencies, and Station 63 operates as a regional training facility offering burn building and multi-story live fire training to the department and neighboring agencies.

Name

Ponderosa Fire Department

Legal name

Ponderosa Fire Department

Website

https://ponderosavfd.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1972

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Ponderosa Fire Department, operating as Harris County Emergency Service District #28, is a combination volunteer and paid fire department founded in 1972 that provides fire suppression, EMS, rescue, and fire prevention services to residents within ESD #28 in the Spring/Houston, Texas area via three stations and 9-1-1 dispatch.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Public Fire and Emergency Services

NAICS

Fire Protection (92216)

SIC

Services-Detective, Guard & Armored Car Services (7381)

akta.pro primary industry

Fire & Rescue Services (Fire Suppression, Rescue) (BPAIAGAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Fire Prevention, Inspection & Code Enforcement (Life Safety) (BPAIAGAL), Fire Alarm Monitoring & Dispatch (BPAKAFAC), Fire Watch & Life Safety Patrols (HSAHAKAH)

Keywords

• Fire suppression services
• Emergency medical services
• Technical rescue operations
• Fire prevention education
• Public emergency services

Headquarters

HQ city

Houston

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Emergency Services Funding: Funded through Harris County Emergency Service District #28 (ESD #28), which collects property taxes from residents within the district to fund fire protection, rescue services, and emergency medical response. The department also receives support from the Ponderosa Volunteer Fire Association (PVFA).

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Ponderosa Fire Department (Harris County ESD #28) provides fire suppression, technical rescue, and emergency medical services to residents and businesses within its designated emergency services district in the Houston/Spring, Texas area. The department also delivers fire prevention, public education, and fire code enforcement programs, staffed by a combination of paid and volunteer firefighters operating from three fire stations.

Product overview

Ponderosa Fire Department (Emergency Services District #28) is a combination volunteer and paid firefighter organization serving Harris County, Texas since 1972. The department operates three fire stations (Station 61-63) providing fire suppression, emergency medical response, rescue operations, and fire prevention education services to the community. The department maintains a seamless response system with neighboring agencies and operates a dedicated training facility at Station 63. The organization is governed by boards of directors of both the Ponderosa Volunteer Fire Association and Emergency Services District #28.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Fire Suppression Services

Quantifiable outcome

• Top 4% ISO PPC rating reduces most insurance rates for community residents
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Harris County Emergency Service District #28 (HCESD 28)coreOthersHCESD 28 is the governing emergency services district that funds and oversees the Ponderosa Fire Department. The district collects property taxes to fund fire protection, rescue services, and emergency medical response for the community.
• Cypress Creek EMS Communications SystemcoreTechnology or IntegrationProvides emergency communications dispatch services. Described as 'second to none' by Chief Fred Windisch. Critical component of the emergency response system.
• Local Water DistrictscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWater supply partners described as 'very dependable and capable' - critical infrastructure support for firefighting operations.
• Neighboring Fire AgenciescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSeamless coordinated emergency response with neighboring fire agencies (both red trucks and green trucks respond to emergencies). Annual response to over 2,300 emergencies jointly.
• BRW ArchitectsminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerArchitecture firm that designed Station 62, which received the Chief Magazine Bronze Design Award.
• LDF Construction (Spring, Texas)minorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerConstruction company that built Station 62, which received the Chief Magazine Bronze Design Award.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Direct peers

• Spring Fire Department: Combination volunteer and paid fire department serving the Spring, Texas area near Ponderosa's service district. Operates with a similar volunteer/paid hybrid model and mutual aid agreements.
• The Woodlands Fire Department: Combination fire department serving The Woodlands community in Montgomery/Harris County, Texas. Comparable suburban combination-department model with high ISO ratings and overlapping service area.
• Cy-Fair Volunteer Fire Department: Combination volunteer and paid fire department serving northwest Harris County, Texas. Operates a similar hybrid staffing model with comparable ISO ratings and mutual aid coordination with Ponderosa.
• Atascocita Fire Department: Combination volunteer and paid fire department serving the Atascocita community in Harris County, Texas. Similar hybrid staffing model, ISO ratings, and community-funded structure.
• Klein Volunteer Fire Department: Volunteer and paid fire department serving the Klein area in unincorporated Harris County. Comparable combination department model and service area proximity.
• Tomball Fire Department: Fire department serving the City of Tomball in Harris County, Texas. Provides similar fire suppression, EMS, and rescue services to a comparable suburban community with a hybrid staffing model.
• Aldine Fire & Rescue: Combination fire and rescue department serving the Aldine area in Harris County, Texas. Directly comparable in service delivery model, funding structure, and geographic proximity; documented training coordination with Ponderosa.

Regional players

• Northwest Fire Department (TX): Fire department serving Northwest Harris County near Ponderosa's district. Comparable combination volunteer/paid model with overlapping mutual aid response, though operating in a slightly different sub-region of the county.

Broad incumbents

• Houston Fire Department: The municipal fire department serving the City of Houston, adjacent to Ponderosa's service area. Provides overlapping fire suppression, EMS, and rescue services at a much larger scale, and represents a potential consolidation or annexation partner.

Others

• Cypress Creek EMS Communications: Emergency medical communications and dispatch service that provides 9-1-1 dispatch support to Ponderosa Fire Department. A core operational partner rather than a direct competitor.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/PonderosaFD
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ponderosa-fire-department

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Ponderosa Fire Department