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BASTROP — Officials are weighing changes to emergency services that could improve response times and reduce longterm costs for residents.
During a March 24 meeting, City Council discussed coordination with Emergency Services District No. 2 (ESD2) and ESD3, including bringing ambulance service inhouse at the county level and potentially shifting out the city’s fire department.
BASTROP AMBULANCES
Allen Johnson, executive director of Bastrop County ESD3 and its emergency medical services director, said ambulance service in the county has drawn recent criticism.
Emergency services have historically been handled by third-party providers, most recently Acadian Ambulance Service.
“Their contract prior to June 2025 was zero- subsidy, meaning they survived off their payfor- service revenue, not taxpayer funds,” Johnson said. “Consequently, they were only able to fund four ambulances in the county … There were extremely long response times and multiple episodes a day where an ambulance was not available.”
ESD3 pr e v iou sly worked with Acadian to add one full-time ambulance and three additional units during peak hours, but Johnson said those improvements did not meet demand.
In October 2025, the district voted to bring ambulance services inhouse. Johnson said the transition is expected to be complete by Oct. 1, with 15 ambulances ordered.
Eight units are expected to be in service around the clock, with three additional units deployed during high-demand hours.
Johnson said the change will allow for local oversight, additional supervisors and stronger performance standards based on national benchmarks.
A district feasibility study found the move would not increase costs for taxpayers and could result in savings, according to officials.
The district plans to operate from eight stations across the county, with administrative offices at 1811 Jasper St. in Bastrop.
Council approved the first reading of a zoning ordinance related to the plan, with a final vote scheduled for April 14.
FIRE DEPARTMENT SWITCH UP
City leaders also discussed a proposal to transition Bastrop’s fire services to ESD2 under a one-year trial agreement.
City Manager Sylvia Carrillo-Trevino said the proposal is driven by rising costs rather than performance concerns.
Prior to 2020, the Bastrop Fire Department operated as a volunteer agency with a budget of about $540,000. The department’s fiscal year 2026 budget is $1.79 million, with an additional $220,000 in debt obligations.
Carrillo-Trevino said the department’s budget has increased almost 17% since 2024 due to higher costs for training, salaries, retirement and insurance.
“When we talk about how do we keep our property taxes stable, how do we do more with less ... it is a natural evolution to get to ESD No. 2,” she said.
City officials said no firefighters would lose jobs or benefits if the transition occurs. Employees would become ESD personnel while continuing to work from the same stations.
Bastrop Fire Capt. Craig Smith said firefighters support the proposal if benefits such as retirement and leave are maintained.
“Operationally, we love working with those guys. We do it on every fire. It’ll be a great thing,” Smith said.
If approved after the trial period, the transition to ESD2 would go before voters in 2027.
