Recent Alerts from Nixle

Thu, 19 Sep 2019 09:18:37 -0700


Tue, 10 Sep 2019 13:44:47 -0700

Burn Ban For Unincorporated Montgomery County

Tue, 07 May 2019 13:03:10 -0700


Contact Us

South Montgomery County Fire Department
27900 Robinson Road
Conroe, TX 77385

Voice: 281-363-FIRE (3473)
Fax: 281-292-0487

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Fire Safety?


What is a Fire Code?

Any set of standards set forth and enforced by a local government agency for the protection of public safety, health, etc., as in the specifications for fire escapes or exits (fire code).
Since its inception, fire has been a vital part of humankind’s existence and survival. Years of experience, incidents, tragedies, and education has helped evolve how people handle, control, prevent, contain, and provide safe conditions with fire. Agencies such as the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), the International Code Council (ICC), Underwriters Laboratories (U.L.), as well as many others have been monumental in the development of codes and regulations that limit the devastating effect that fire creates.

What is a Fire Inspection?

A fire inspection is an examination of a location's risk of having a fire and its supply of equipment to both fight it and to evacuate the occupants.

What is the goal of a fire inspection?

The goal is to identify any issues within each business that could potentially be a fire hazard and increase the likelihood of a fire.
When a business experiences a fire, even a small one, the business often closes for days to hours to weeks. During this time, your client base is not served by you, and in many cases you permanently lose those customers. Additionally, many businesses find that they were under insured after a fire. In some cases, the business never reopens because the owner does not have enough financial resources to cover the gap between the cost to rebuild and what their insurance covers.

What is an Emergency Service District (ESD) and where do they get their funding?

An ESD, is a political subdivision of the State of Texas, similar to a school district. It is not a part of County government, but works closely in cooperation with the County. ESD's can levy an ad-valorem property tax not to exceed 10 cents per $100 of assessed value. On a home valued at $200,000, the ESD recieves a total tax of $200 per year. An ESD may also ask the citizens to approve a sales and use tax, up to 2 cents for each dollar spent in the district.  In 2011 the residents of MCESD8 approved a 1 cent sales and use tax as allowed by Texas law.

Why is there an 11 before each station and apparatus number, but you are ESD 8.

In Montgomery County there are multiple fire departments that are all dispatched by The Woodlands Fire Communications with the exception of the City of Conroe.  In order to keep track of the departments the County Fire Chiefs came up with a numbering system many years ago.  At that time, South Montgomery County Fire was given number 11.  Since those early years, there has been the creation of Emergency Services Districts (ESD'S).  Upon the creation of ESD's South Montgomery County's territorial boundaries  became ESD 8, and because the two, for years were different entities this was never even noticed.  In 2009 when the ESD became the management of the Department those two numbers have to be explained.  There is no plans to change ethier numbering system.