The New Braunfels ISD Communications Department, City of New Braunfels and New Braunfels Fire Department recently collaborated to create a logo for Fire Station #5 that was inspired by Dragons.

Station #5 is surrounded by NBISD schools on the east side of town, where the Dragon mascot feeder pattern lies. Fire Station #5 is located right next to County Line Elementary and many other NBISD schools are right around the corner, including Memorial Elementary, Voss Farms Elementary and Walnut Springs Elementary.

Many fire stations have individualized logos representing the community they serve, according to Lt. Michael Skelton of NBFD #5. Station #5 hadn’t yet decided on a logo so the crew who works there started discussing possibilities. 

The Dragon logo came up as Long Creek High School, NBISD’s second comprehensive high school, opened earlier this year. Once it was decided that they wanted some sort of representation of the Dragon incorporated into their logo, Skelton reached out to NBISD Superintendent Dr. Laurelyn Arterbury. She passed along the message to Michelle Harwood, NBISD Director of Communications, who took on the project from there.

“Part of our job as the communications department is community relations and outreach, and we thought this would be a great opportunity to work alongside the city and fire department,” she said.

That’s when she got NBISD Web and Content Creation Specialist Ryan Petrie involved. Petrie is a graphic designer by trade and has more than 10 years of experience in the field. Petrie worked with Skelton to see what elements he wanted to incorporate into the new logo. 

After designing several mockups, Petrie decided to bring one to the table that he felt represented the station and community well.

“The design included the Dragon logo with the Texas flag in the background and two axes that you have seen on firefighter logos for many years,” he said. “One of my favorite aspects is that it says ‘Haus Der Drachen’, which is German for House of Dragons, which I wanted to incorporate to show the German culture that is represented here in New Braunfels.”

Firefighters oftentimes will visit the schools in the area and show students what it is like to be a firefighter. It’s all a part of the community involvement that plays a vital factor in the fire department’s role in New Braunfels, aside from fighting fires and protecting those who live here.

“We’re here for the community and what better way to really show what we are about and show what is most important to us than to have part of the community branded on our apparatus like that,” Skelton said.

Petrie had the opportunity to meet some of the firefighters who work at Station #5 to explain what went into the design and how he incorporated their suggestions into the work. 

Rogelio Rubio, one of those firefighters, said, “I think it came out great! Seriously! There are seven stations in the City of New Braunfels, and I think our logo is the best one!”