Response times in the Town of Prosper should soon be faster than ever with the opening of the new central fire station located on 911 Safety Way.

“We knew from our data that we needed to have a new station over on this part of town,” Mayor David Bristol said. “Now, today, we’re lucky enough to have the premier fire station of North Texas.”

To show their support, fire chiefs and town figures from across Texas attended the grand opening Aug. 8.

“We all try to support each other when something is going on and something big is happening,” Prosper Fire and Rescue Chief Stuart Blasingame said. “It is very humbling to have all of them here.”

Bristol also referenced his former Airforce academy classmate, a 1987 graduate, LeRoy Wilton Homer Jr.

“He was the pilot on flight 93 that crashed into Shanksville, Pennsylvania,” Bristol said. “Through this memorial, not only does Prosper Fire Rescue honor my classmate, he honors the rest of the people that lost their lives in the 9/11 tragedy.”

The fire station includes a 9/11 memorial with a 7,500-pound piece of the World Trade Center, which serves as a reminder to the firefighters what they fight for.

“Through this memorial not only does Chief Blasingame and Prosper Fire Rescue honor my classmate, but the rest of the people who lost their lives in the 9/11 tragedy,” Bristol said. “We put so much work into it, and we wanted to make sure it was special so that it honored those that lost their lives in a manner that they deserve.”

The facility is 30,800 square feet, and also functions as the town’s emergency operations center.

“Response times are most definitely going to be faster,” junior Christina Krasnova said. “They’ll now be able to support Prosper’s rapid growth.”

Isabel Multer, sports editor for Eagle Nation Online, also works for Eagle Nation News, Prosper High School’s broadcast program.