HOUSTON – Houston Fire Station No. 23 will have to wait almost two months until its new HVAC system is replaced. The department is located on Lawndale Street in southeast Houston.
“This is just getting to the point where not only the citizens, but the employees have had enough,” Patrick Lancton, President of the Houston Professional Firefighters Association said.
The City of Houston’s General Services Department first told KPRC 2 that the new unit would be replaced on August 31. The department oversees facilities in the city and blames the delay on an extended lead time. A spokesperson said:
“The contractor processed the order for the replacement equipment on July 25, 2023, with a 12–16-week lead time. The units have to be manufactured and the anticipated shipment date is between October 23 – Nov. 13, 2023.”
“The city has gotten good at one thing and that is providing new excuses to old problems. The one thing they have not done is solved the problem,” Patrick Lancton said.
Lancton said it should not take that long to find a replacement.
“It’s time for a change. It’s time for the excuses to end and it’s time for the firefighters to be respected and for them to be able to go to a work location and not have to worry about working air condition units and working apparatus. Instead, all they get is excuses,” he said.
Lancton said he is fed up with the excuses and how the city is managing the fire station.
“They first told you when you came with the story that it was going to be August 31. That in itself was unacceptable and the fact that we are now past August 31, and they are now giving you two months later, it’s absolutely indicative of how this city treats not only its infrastructure but its employees,” he said.
Back in July, the city installed portable units across the department to help keep firefighters cool. KPRC 2’s Re’Chelle Turner asked Lancton if he believes the new unit will be installed by October.
“I don’t. I don’t believe it takes that long for an air conditioning unit to be put in. Everybody that we have spoken to, the business community, the civic leaders that have called based on your story are outraged. Their response is we can make calls to people and get this fixed in a day. Why can’t the city get this fixed in four months, during the hottest season? Let me show you how this is going to play out. We are going to push it so far to where we get into the fall, and no one is going to care about this story anymore. Guess what we’ve dealt with this year, after year, after year,” Lancton said.
Houston City Council member Robert Gallegos represents District I and told Turner it was his first time hearing about the problem and his office is working to get in touch with firefighters at the station.