Spring Fire Department is adding a tanker truck to its fleet that will haul water directly to neighborhoods that don't have enough fire hydrants.

Members of the department's Apparatus Committee traveled to Louisiana to inspect the truck while it's still under construction, the department announced on X on Tuesday, Aug. 11. The tanker will carry its own water supply into areas where crews currently face limited access to hydrants during a fire.

Spring Fire serves roughly 168,000 people across 62 square miles of unincorporated Harris County, stretching from FM 2978 and Kuykendahl Road on the west to where Spring Creek and Cypress Creek converge on the east. Not all of that territory has fire hydrants spaced to meet national standards. The National Fire Protection Association recommends a minimum of 150 gallons per minute from a water supply at any fire scene, and in hydrant-deficient zones, firefighters must bring that water themselves using tankers, also called water tenders.

The department has addressed the challenge on its website, explaining that crews in areas with weak or no nearby hydrants must bring additional water to the scene.

The in-person Louisiana inspection is part of how the combination department, which blends career and volunteer firefighters, vets new apparatus before accepting delivery. Fire Chief Scott Seifert reported on new vehicles entering service at the Harris County Emergency Services District No. 7 board meeting on May 20, though those minutes did not specify the tanker by name or cost.

Spring Fire completed a Community Risk Assessment in March 2025 as part of its pursuit of international accreditation through the Center for Public Safety Excellence. The assessment examined the department's response territory to identify risks and vulnerabilities, including neighborhood-level gaps. The tanker addresses one of those known vulnerabilities: hydrant access.

The department has not disclosed the tanker's manufacturer, water capacity, cost or expected delivery date.

Coming up: Spring Fire will host a public open house at the W.W. "Cotton" Weaver Training Center on Saturday, Oct. 3.