Bastrop County ESD No. 3 to Bring EMS In-House

By Kristen Meriwether, Publisher

Bastrop County Emergency Services District No. 3 is set to bring emergency medical services in-house after more than two decades of relying on private contractors, a move officials say will enhance local control and responsiveness amid the county's rapid growth.

The ESD board voted Oct. 15 to transition from its current contract with Acadian Ambulance to a district-operated model. The shift is expected to take about a year, with Acadian continuing as the provider in the interim.

“At the end of the day, regardless of who operates the EMS agency, there is a cost to meet a desired set of outcomes,” ESD No. 3 board member Allen Johnson said in a press release. “For a public-private partnership to be successful, both parties must understand the expected performance and the cost to deliver on that. In the end, the Board opted for local control.”

To make their decision, the board looked at the pros and cons of private and local control. Board members favored that with local control, they can review the data and make changes that day, whereas with a private contractor, changes take longer and suggestions are not guaranteed to be implemented.

The board also believed having local leadership in place to work full time on a day-to-day basis with the EMS staff, local hospitals, and public safety officers would increase the effectiveness of the service provided.

One of the disadvantages brought up was higher prices in procurement of equipment. In a phone interview with Johnson on Thursday, he said they will mitigate that through the use of group purchasing organizations they are members of.

Not everyone was on board with bringing EMS in-house, with board member Loren Stagner initially opposing it.

“After talking with community members and studying the analysis, I believe this is the most responsible action for the community long-term,” Stagner said in the press release. “The Board understands the need to balance quality and cost. We are in the position to deliver a responsible product to the community.”

The process to fully transition to local control will take about a year, but the start date will depend on when the new ambulances are delivered, according to Johnson.

The board approved the purchase of 12 ambulances in February and an additional three at last week’s meeting. But those will take 16 to 20 months to deliver and are not expected on-site until at least October 2026 and as late as January 2027.

Johnson said the district is expected to hire 90 staff that will include leadership, support staff, field staff and communications staff. Recruiting for field staff is expected to start in early summer 2026, but they will nail down a final timeline when they get updated ambulance delivery dates in the spring.

ESD No. 3 will begin recruiting in a highly competitive market where shortages of EMTs have made filling ambulances a challenge statewide. Johnson said they will have to be competitive and differentiate themselves in the market.

He also noted many EMS professionals live in the community and make long drives to get to their current job. Offering something closer to home with a high quality company culture could help fill some spots.

The board is expected to review the detailed timeline of milestones necessary to complete the transition no later than its regular December meeting.

ESD No. 3 will hold a special called meeting on Wednesday, Oct. 29 to vote on adding an additional ambulance four days per week. You can view the agenda here.