Boerne's battle against the chill has a new ally; the Fire Marshal’s Office spearheaded a symposium on Feb. 6, with the aim of beefing up defenses against fire sprinkler system freeze-ups that have been plaguing South Texas amid increasingly harsh winters. The symposium drew in a crowd that mixed property honchos and repair experts, all huddled together to hammer out strategies to keep water flowing and emergencies at bay.
According to a City of Boerne statement, Fire Marshal Robert Lee outlined the stakes like this, mentioning, "All these factors, from property damage to the strain on emergency resources, highlight the importance of ensuring fire sprinkler systems are prepared to weather these extreme cold events," this problem isn't just about soggy carpets or icicles on the ceiling, it's a serious safety snag that’s stretching the Fire Department thin and causing a spike in emergency calls.
The recent wintry blast in January 2024 gave Boerne a frosty sucker punch, resulting in 17 fire sprinkler and fire line breaks, which turned the heat up on Fire Department crews as they scrambled to make 59 service runs, and the winter storm of 2021 was even more vicious, leading to 61 breaks and an overwhelming 110 runs. The worry, as voiced by the symposium leaders, is that the bitter weather isn't going anywhere, and neither will the problems unless solid solutions are put in place.
Boerne Fire Captain Adam Zenner shared his on-the-ground perspective with the attendees, revealing the operational strain when he said, "When this happens, there are multiple calls going on at the same time; Our department is seven strong per shift, going to eight soon," and with every alarm ringing for a possible fire, the crews race against time only to find, sometimes, it's just a busted pipe they're dealing with — too many calls, too many breaks, and not enough hands on deck.
For anyone needing more details on how to steel their sprinkler systems against the cold snap, the Fire Marshal’s Office at (830) 248-1512 is the number to call, or they can send out an SOS via email.
