Rooted in values, ready for change: Watson guides ESD 1 through growth

With trust and teamwork at the core, Watson’s leadership helps Parker County’s fire services evolve with its fast-growing communities

Growing up in Gorman, Emergency Services District 1 Fire Chief Stephen Watson was fascinated by the sound of the fire siren. As a child, he would run outside to watch the fire trucks race by, and from that moment on, he knew it was something he always wanted to do.

After graduating from high school, Watson began volunteering and enrolled in the Weatherford College Fire Academy, where he graduated in 2000. He has been dedicated to the fire service ever since. During his time at the academy, one of the most important lessons he learned was the value of teamwork.