Suburbs

Safety is the keyword for the week in the suburbs — namely, Collierville.

The town unveiled a number of improvements — all of which reporter Abigail Warren wrote about — highlighted by the newest fire station, No. 6 on your roster.

But there were other steps taken to enhance the safety in the town. Street lights will illuminate a dark stretch of Houston Levee, and a revamping of the backup dispatch center also were part of the plans.

Years ago, I thought suburban residents would embrace a suburban city property tax increase as long as officials showed where the money was destined AND leaders put ample resources into public safety.

As long as the police and fire showed up in a timely manner, residents would accept the cost.

That has changed somewhat with growth, suburban sprawl and the creation of municipal school districts. But the taxpayers still want that quick response time and curtailing crime.

The new fire station is destined to protect the southeastern part of Collierville. And, it is in a prime location across the street from Collierville High. About as close as possible without parking a ladder truck in the gym.

Officials connected the high school and the fire station by dubbing the new building The Protector of the Dragons.”

The southeastern area is growing, partly because of its proximity to the town’s only high school, partly because of new residences and partly because of available land. The services were soon to follow.

The fire station provides several improvements besides just its location and coverage of a growing area. Several are changes to benefit firefighters.

Instead of the sleep-hall arrangement of the old fire stations, this one has separate bedrooms for the personnel on duty. And when a call goes out, the alarm only sounds in the rooms where those on the call are alerted. This allows the others to continue their nighttime rest.

Additionally, the lights come on in red instead of the bright glow of regular bulbs that can blind a person trying to get dressed and to the fire truck quickly for an emergency.

From a safety standpoint, there is the ongoing installation of streetlights in the median along a stretch of Houston Levee between Winchester and Tenn. 385, also known as the Bill Morris Parkway.

That corridor between Sonic and Orgill with its vacant tracts and lack of lights can become quite dark after sundown. Former Alderman John Worley called the stretch “dark and dangerous” for drivers trying to negotiate the route.

So, the town is installing the forest green “Beale Street Lights” in the median, a spot considered less likely for wayward drivers to wipe out the poles. The experts seem to say that location is better than the curbside for longevity, so I guess everyone needs to rely on their expertise.

Then there is the backup dispatch center connected to Fire Station No. 4 on Houston Levee. The plan there is to enhance the town’s dispatch services and duplicate the main system in case an emergency requires first responders to use an alternative.

A good indication of the need to upgrade the backup site is that it is a converted house, and the dispatch center is in a renovated master bedroom.

Such are the adjustments made when Collierville was small and using available space to serve all the necessities needed in a growing town.

One of the nice things about the renovation — it won’t draw down any funds from the Collierville town budget. The $822,000 for the change is coming from the Shelby County 911 board.

Those are the kinds of improvements that benefit the town. Better response backups in Collierville without blaming the communication center for a property tax increase.

A win-win for Collierville property owners. - Suburbs editor Clay Bailey

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