Bastrop County ESD No. 3 Approves Extra Ambulance Hours

By Kristen Meriwether, Publisher

On Wednesday, the Bastrop County Emergency Services District No. 3 unanimously voted to authorize Acadian Ambulance to use 48 additional unit hours per week.

This will allow Acadian to deploy at least one 12-hour ambulance for four days per week, although the board did not vote for specific days or hours. This gives Acadian the flexibility to use the hours as needed or not use them if call volume is lower than expected.

The move is in response to recent data showing Sundays and Mondays having increased calls, as well as higher call volumes at peak times in central Bastrop and Elgin.

The additional hours will cost $421,125 in this fiscal year, and the board’s counsel will draft a contract addendum for the additional hours.

The board also discussed the proposed hire dates for positions that will be created as the district transitions from Acadian to in-house EMS service by the end of next year.

Executive Director Ernesto Rodriguez gave the presentation to the board and said the current plan is to hire a human resources manager no later than Dec. 15 so they can write and get approval for all job descriptions at the Jan. 12, 2026, meeting.

They anticipate filling all director-level jobs by May 11, 2026, the communications manager by June 15, 2026, and the clinical supervisors by July 31, 2026.

Rodriguez also requested that the board consider moving him to the position of Director of Performance Improvement and Decision Support, saying that type of work is primarily what he has done with the district since his hire in June.

He also added that while he has experience in large EMS organizations, including leading Austin-Travis County EMS for 15 years, he believes someone with experience leading an Emergency Service District would be a better fit for the executive director role.

Commissioner Jason Pack asked Rodriguez if he had anyone in mind to fill the role, to which Rodriguez said Commissioner Allen Johnson. Rodriguez cited Johnson’s experience, leadership skills, and work ethic.

Johnson served as the Executive Director of Waller County EMS and spent more than 13 years as the operations manager, EMS director and eventually CEO of the Montgomery County Hospital District and its EMS service, according to his bio.

The board went into executive session to discuss the potential switch, but took no action when they returned.

The next regularly scheduled board meeting is on Nov. 9 and agendas are posted the prior week.