You know by now that Princeton, Texas, is in the throes of a growth explosion, so the city has taken a key step to help it cope with the ramifications of the immense growth it is undergoing.

The Princeton City Council has decided to end its fire protection for residents living in the city’s extraterritorial jurisdiction. Why? As I understand it, the city wants to devote its firefighting and emergency response resources to the growing number of residents living in the city’s corporate limits. Those in the ETJ will need to rely on Collin County to answer the call when fire breaks out.

This is a growing trend in fast-growing cities. Melissa has done so already. Wylie and Farmersville have given notice that they are going to follow suit. ETJ neighborhoods can seek to be annexed by Princeton at a later time. The Legislature some years ago amended state law to prohibit cities from arbitrarily annexing ETJs into their city limits.

On the surface, the decision might seem heartless. It doesn’t leave ETJ residents defenseless against fire or other emergencies. It merely puts pressure on the county to implement a proposed emergency services district that would cover those areas that cities are now having to forgo. Princeton Mayor Eugene Escobar said the city has been providing fire protection service to the ETJ “without being properly compensated.” Look, cities such as Princeton have to look at servicing those whose municipal tax money pays the bills.

This is one of those bittersweet elements of rapid municipal growth. I get what the city is seeking to do. It wants to ensure it has adequate resources to aid those to whom the city answers directly. That would be those who live within the city limits.

As City Manager Mike Mashburn noted: “This decision ensures our fire department can maintain the level of protection our residents expect and deserve.” This action makes sense.