Headlines: The Woodlands Fire Department Communications

Upgrades and Advancements

On December 14, 2005, The Woodlands Fire Department Dispatch center was relocated from Central Fire Station to a new, more modern facility at the Shenandoah City Hall building at 29955 I-45. On that day, TWFD Dispatch Supervisor Judy Kowis signed off the radio at The Woodlands Central Station, where dispatch had been housed for over 25 years. Dispatch Trainer Simone Nichols signed on from the new location less than a minute later. The transition was smooth, with no interruption in phone or radio service.

The changes are a major part of expanding and updating the communications capabilities of the dispatch center that has served The Woodlands for over a quarter of a century. In cooperation with a number of county and municipal agencies, the new center will house the latest in communications technologies for answering calls for service. The new center will serve as a back-up 911 answering center for all emergency calls, in the event that the primary 911 center in Conroe must go off-line.

TWFD Dispatch, whose official radio handle has been changed from "Woodlands" to "Fire Com" as a part of the switch, is now using the Positron Power 911 system, and will be converting to Positron Power CAD in 2006. At 13:00 on February 6, 2006, Fire Com began dispatching for the 16 other Montgomery County fire departments, in addition to dispatching TWFD and Timberlakes VFD, which they have historically served.

There are currently nine full-time dispatchers working eight and ten-hour shifts. The dispatch staff prides itself on being well-trained in both dispatch procedures and the territory of The Woodlands. Over half of the staff has been employed with TWFD for more than ten years:

Day Shift

Sheri Wooley, Senior Dispatcher II, 20 years

Simone Nichols, Senior Dispatcher I/Dispatch Trainer, 15 years

Rondi Potts, Senior Dispatcher I, 12 years

Evening Shift

Rick Erickson, Senior Dispatcher I, 13 years

Julie Turner, Dispatcher IV/Dispatch Trainer, 10 years

Joan Bussey, Dispatcher I, 2 years

Night Shift

Carrie Cook, Dispatcher II, 4 years

Cari Zielisko, Dispatcher I, 2 years

Marc Horvath, Probationary Dispatcher, 9 months

The dispatchers became part of The Woodlands Professional Fire Fighters Association (IAFF Local 3846) in 2004 and negotiated their first labor contract that went into effect Jan 1, 2005.

What happens when you dial 911? Call is answered at a county-wide Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP), where the calltaker will determine what type of service is needed (Police, Fire, or Ambulance). If you have a fire emergency and you're in The Woodlands, the call will be immediately routed to Fire Com, who will input the location information and immediately dispatch the closest units. Police calls will be routed to the Sheriff's Department, and EMS calls will be routed to the Montgomery County Hospital District. (Fire Com will be notified of any medical emergency at the time of ambulance dispatch and will also dispatch appropriate fire units)