Unable to keep up with emergency calls, Melissa chooses to no longer work in rural Collin County

Rural areas in Collin County rely on nearby towns and cities for fire services. But one city has opted out — and others could soon follow.

Until this month, the Melissa Fire Department responded to 9-1-1 calls in 12 square miles of unincorporated land not annexed to any city or town. The municipality informed the province last year of the termination of the agreement.

Collin County has experienced rapid population growth, and Melissa is no exception. According to the U.S. Census Bureauthe city has increased from 13,901 inhabitants in 2020 to 23,571 in 2023.

City Manager Jason Little said the fire department cannot keep up with emergency calls in Melissa and unincorporated areas. Little said, there has been a 20% increase in 9-1-1 calls in the past year. Most of those calls come from Melissa.

“We can't be in two places at once,” Little said.

He said other cities are facing the same struggles.

“There are only a handful of us in Northeast Collin County, and the unincorporated area is not getting any smaller,” Little said.

Melissa's fire district will still receive services from another fire department, and Melissa will provide mutual aid to other departments in the unincorporated areas as needed.

McKinney Fire Chief Paul Dow said other cities could follow Melissa's example, including his own. He said this could create a gap for fire services in the unincorporated areas.

“That's where it gets complicated if both McKinney and Princeton and other departments opt out as well,” Dow said. “This is a provincial problem and we are looking for a provincial solution.”

Collin County's budget for fire services in unincorporated areas has not increased in the past decade, with a few exceptions. The province says it is still looking for solutions for the fire brigade.

Do you have a tip? Email Caroline Love at clove@kera.org.

Caroline Love is one Report for America corps member for KERA News.

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