The eagle-topped chromebell, it’s said, these days symbolizes the one that sounded a fire alarm back before telephones or other signals, or that rang to honor a fallen firefighter.
But it also serves a happier purpose, according to Spur fire chief Wess Abbott. It’s struck to ring a decommissioned fire station out of service and ring a new one in.
Approximately four hundred visitors and officials gathered Saturday morning in Spur to witness the ceremonial grand opening of the city’s new fire station, a state-of-the-art facility with all the bells and whistles. The Lubbock Fire Department color guard, along with the tartan-clad Permian Basin First Responders Pipe & Drum Corps, lent an air of high ritual and tradition to the occasion.
Spur residents and returning ex-students reveled in a program that involved presentations to those who had played a role in the concept and execution of the impressive new station.
Abbott, on the platform in his braid-trimmed official blazer, summarized the multi-year process that led up to the moment.
“Several years ago the fire department had the city council come tour the previous station to see the condition it was in,” he said. After the department gave the council a tour to point out the deficiencies of the 1920s–era former power plant building, the Texas Spur newspaper also had the chance to write about the limitations of the make-do fire station.
“The fire department knew that we were not going to be able to raise enough funds to build a new station, so we were beginning the process to possibly have a capital improvement project through a bond election to build a new fire station,” Abbott said. “And if a bond election passed, that meant the community would have to pay for it.”
But a better solution came out of the blue. Abbott explained that shortly after the Texas Spur had published its article, he happed to be in the Spur Security Bank, and retired CEO Eric Swenson waved him into his office. Swenson and his wife, Linda, had read the news coverage and, after some discussion, felt they might have a solution that would avoid a bond election and prevent the citizens of Spur from taking on such a financial burden.
“They wanted to build the fire station for the community,” Abbott said. The Swensons had grown up in Spur and raised their own children there, and they now wanted to give back to the community in they so loved. They recognized the fundamental need for a functional fire station somewhere along Spur’s main thoroughfare, Burlington Avenue, that would simultaneously help revitalize the downtown area. The facility would be built in memory of the couple’s parents, Eric and Edith Swenson and J.B. and Doris Morrison.
Still, from site selection to demolition of the derelict former car dealership that occupied it, from design adjustments to securing a general contractor, from dirt work to pouring concrete to working out every detail of the building’s floor plan and features, the project was a huge undertaking.
Abbott thanked the many individuals, businesses and organizations that brought the dream to reality, apologizing in advance “to anyone I may have failed to recognize because there are so many people and businesses that were involved,” he said.
Saturday’s occasion was the chance, finally, for those who had contributed to the process—from county commissioners to city council to local contractors and service workers, to the volunteer firefighters themselves, and their families. As for the latter group, the pride in their new home was apparent. Real restrooms, a training room, a catering kitchen, oversized truck bays, and convenient lockers are among the practical features the crew have already been enjoying. Less obvious engineering details, such as drive-through bays, adequate lighting, and floor drains that prevent constant standing water from dripping hoses, have already made a great difference in the crew’s ability to respond swiftly and surely to any alarm.
Not least, the chief who has also sacrificed a great deal of his own time and effort expressed thanks, both in formal prayer and in acknowledgment of a divine hand in the undertaking. “It was his plan, his timing; the credit and the glory belongs to our heavenly Father,” said Abbott. “I personally know there were many prayers said over this new fire station.”
Once the ball got rolling, Abbott said, separate exploratory meetings were held with former fire chief Benny Ball and with tractor and auto mechanic Dennis Wyatt, both key property owners. “Both answered yes with no hesitation,” Abbott said. “They both knew what this opportunity meant not only for the fire department, but also to the citizens of Spur.”
A building committee was eventually formed, and the Friends of the Spur Texas Volunteer Fire Department nonprofit organization was established. Those serving on the building committee were Greg Arnold, Matt Hindman and Charlie Morris, in addition to Abbott as fire chief.
MWM architects and Autrey Engineering launched into preliminary planning. But before the donation of a building could even become a reality, the existing structures on the site had to go. Out of the blue, South Plains Electric Cooperative and Co-bank provided matching grants for a total of
The Dickens County commissioners pitched in, said Abbott, during some of the hottest days of summer 2022. Joe and Les Fincher, who had both served on the fire department, donated their time and equipment for the help of the demolition project. Other county personnel helped as well.
After numerous meetings, the fire station building committee was able to award the construction bid to Collier Construction, who have ranching ties to the Dickens County and also previously built the county annex building as well as the Dickens fire station as well as the Dickens County annex building. “Scott Collier and his team were true professionals and listened to our needs and understood the importance of the functionality of the building,” said Abbott, “and when curveballs were thrown at us, Collier Construction was able to come up with solutions to keep the project moving forward.”
Abbott recalled others, long before the current project, who had contributed their knowledge to an emerging concept. “Efforts on building a new fire station did not just begin a few years ago,” Abbott said. “Previous fire chiefs and other fire members in this department have been working on this issue and evaluating our options for a long time, well before I even became a member.” During the recession of 2008, the community applied— ultimately without success—for economic stimulus packages were offered. Chief Benny Ball helped department members use the computers in his wife’s high school classroom to fill the application out on a computer. The possibility was raised of refitting the old elementary school gym as a station. Former fire chiefs Reid Arnold and Rick Paschall helped put on communitywide fundraisers. A plan was even hatched to build half of a new station on the existing property—using firefighters’ own labor— then move the trucks out, tear down the other half, and start on the other half!
Fortunately, Spur’s VFD did not have to resort to such measures.
But the facility they got was beyond what they could even have hoped. “From the start the Swensons said they did not want just a plain metal building,” Abbott explained. “They wanted to provide the community with a beautiful well-built building that the citizens and firefighters would be proud of for many years to come.”
And come they did. Curious onlookers gathered on the street corners throughout the construction process, or simply drove by slowly.
In closing, Abbott expressed thanks particularly to the Spur Volunteer Fire Department’s two assistant chiefs, Kory Bateman—in charge of operations -and Matt Hindman, a career firefighter who lends his expertise to Spur as logistics/ support chief. He acknowledged all of the firefighters “for their patience, understanding, cooperation and contributions during this project,” voicing appreciation “to those who contributed to special projects they were tasked with or volunteered for”—and to “our families for allowing us to take time away from you, to better our department.”
Abbott remarked that the department was pleased to bring some old features along with the new. Ol’ Betsy, the centenarian American LaFrance parade truck, has her own display room to shine night and day now. “She only had to wait 100 years, but it was worth it,” Abbott remarked.
A few bricks, mementoes from each preceding building involved in the new station’s history, were incorporated into the masonry of the new station’s far southwest column were installed.
And last, the station’s new ceremonial bell is a relic, Abbott said, from the 1950 American LaFrance fire engine that is now housed at the Science Spectrum museum in Lubbock. Its new mounting, appropriately, was made from salvaged wood from the buildings that once stood on this new station’s spot.
Before hosting a hose uncoupling in place of the traditional ribbon cutting for a new business or building, the bell was rung 10-7 to signify “out of service” for the old station, then rung for 10–8 to signify the new station in service.
“May we always be grateful for the past, find joy in the present,” said Abbott in closing, “and remain excited for the future.”
