The city of Pearland’s new Fire Station No. 4 will be spotlighted at a June 29 Talk of the Town meeting at the station, 8333 Freedom Drive.

With hurricane season here, a new fire chief in town and a new fire station up and running, it makes sense that Pearland Mayor Kevin Cole’s next Talk of the Town meeting will focus on public safety.

The June 29 event is set for 5:30-8 p.m. at the new Fire Station No. 4, 8333 Freedom Drive. Tours of the facility begin at 5:30 p.m., followed by the 7 p.m. town hall discussion.

There are tentative plans to allow the public to tour the neighboring new Shari D. Coleman Animal Shelter and Adoption Center as well as take part in an adoption drive. However, Joshua Lee, Pearland’s director of communications, said final construction of the animal facility is ongoing and that tours of that facility may have to be delayed. He advised residents to check the city’s website ahead of the Talk of the Town to check the latest plans regarding that center.

In a videotaped message, Cole said people at the Talk of the Town get a chance to view equipment from the police and fire departments.

He urged residents to be ready for hurricane season, which began June 1 and lasts through Nov. 30.

“The city takes our obligation seriously and is preparing for any type of activity the (Gulf of Mexico) may send us this year, and we ask that you do the same thing and prepare for safety in your own home,” he said.

Lee said representatives from the National Weather Service will be on hand at the meeting as well as some City Council members.

“(The NWS) will be there to talk about how to interpret their information, and then we’ll have a conversation with council members about strategic priorities to provide for a safe community and what that means from a policy perspective,” he said.

Newly installed Fire Chief J. Taylor will be there to welcome the public to the $8.32 million Fire Station No. 4, which opened this spring, and to introduce himself to the community.

He said he’s excited for residents to see the new station.

“It provides us (with the ability) to keep up good response times and is built for full-time, career firefighters,” Taylor said.

He drew attention to the station’s overnight accommodations, lounge space, dorm rooms, showers and kitchen area.

The new space was financed through bonds approved in 2019. The 14,000-square-foot station is made to house eight crew members including two ambulance medics, four firefighters, a shift commander and a captain. It has four 80-foot-deep drive-through bays for fire trucks and a decontamination area to protect firefighters after smoke and fire exposure.

Taylor, who took over after former chief Vance Riley’s April retirement, said his post in Pearland was exactly what he’d been looking for after nearly 30 years in the industry, including a stint as chief of the Trophy Club Fire Department from 2020-2022 and 27 years with Irving’s fire department, where he served in numerous roles including assistant chief.

“This department, for me, is the perfect size and allows for growth with good challenges that I’m excited to tackle,” he said.

The Pearland Fire Department employs approximately 130 full-time firefighters.

In Pearland, Taylor said he believes he found the place to finish out his career and looks forward to getting to know residents better, calling them a very diverse, friendly group.

Taylor has his sights focused on enhanced community engagement, particularly through the Alvin and Pearland school districts. He said he’s gotten a good response from Pearland ISD officials about implementing fire-safety and education programs for school children.

“A huge place for us to improve is our outreach program,” he said.

Taylor said fire presentations can be tailored to different age groups and can cover topics like calling 911, fire drills, hands-only CPR and home escape plans. He said it’s especially important for youngsters to meet firefighters dressed in and out of full gear so those kids won’t be scared of them during a fire, which can hinder rescue efforts.

“We try to teach them to come up to us, give us a hug and know we’re not scary,” he said. “It seems like a simple thing, but (dressed in all our gear), we can be intimidating.”

Taylor said he and members of the fire department recently attended one of the city’s concerts in the park and brought along one of the fire engines.

“The firefighters were blown away by how many people came up to meet them and talk about fire safety; so that gives us an opportunity to educate folks in a fun and casual way,” he said.

Taylor said he’s fortunate to have inherited a professional and efficient department from the former chief. As for his plans, he aims to focus on strengthening the culture and fine-tuning his leadership skills.

“I’m big on inclusiveness and teamwork, and I like to draw on the experiences of those around me,” he said. “If I don’t learn from the experiences of my assistant chiefs and their knowledge base, then I do the entire department an injustice.”

He said it’s also important to communicate how and why he makes certain decisions. Taylor said doing so strengthens his relationships with those who work under him and keeps people from feeling disgruntled or that their ideas aren’t taken seriously.

The coming $9.9 million, 21,000-square-foot animal shelter will allow for up to 106 dogs, about 100 cats and 16 employees. There will be isolation and quarantine kennels and room to spay and/or neuter animals as well as places for the animals food and grooming.

The shelter is an improvement over the old 10,000-square-foot space on Old Alvin Ranch that isn’t large enough to service the city’s needs.

Carissa D. Lamkahouan is a correspondent for the Houston Chronicle.

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