When minutes matter From the cover
The big picture
Bastrop County EMS hubs
290
Elgin
The county is now serviced by five 24-hour units and two 12-hour units that will overlap during peak times.
Bastrop County can expect faster ambulance response times as Emergency Services District No. 3 implements systemwide improvements, including more units, new response times and increased patient care metrics. Voters approved the creation of ESD 3 last November to cut response times and raise the standard of care, said ESD 3 Vice President Allen Johnson, noting that units are located strategically based on population density and growth. Johnson said officials reformatted the response time expectations—which include stiffer penalties for violations—to account for population density rather than geography. Ron Quaranto, Acadian Ambulance regional vice president, said Acadian has served Bastrop County since May 2015 as the county’s exclusive EMS provider. Johnson said the ESD 3 board opted to extend the contract with Acadian—which ended May 30—for one month, with plans to extend the contract month-to-month through November 2026. “We feel Acadian is familiar with the market and understands call volume,” Johnson said. “We will monitor ... and see if we need to add resources.” Board President James “Scooter” Green said the new contract with Acadian is the first step in services that “not only catches up with the current county needs, but scales” with growth.
+ Acadian, 12-hour, non-stationed
95
290
* Acadian, new location
Acadian, existing locations
21
71
Bastrop
Cedar Creek
21
20
71
"We are grateful for the opportunity to continue to service the residents of Bastrop County. We’re excited to collaborate with ESD 3 on a service model that will increase capacity and improve patient care." RON QUARANTO, ACADIAN AMBULANCE REGIONAL VICE PRESIDENT
304
Rockne
95
N
Average EMS response time expectations
How we got here
Bastrop, Elgin, Smithville city limits Old response times in minutes
Bastrop, Elgin, Smithville city limits New response times in minutes
Preston McGrew, one of three paramedics who led the initiative to develop ESD 3, said the idea for a new emergency services district staffed with more ambulances began in 2022 when he and his colleagues noticed Bastrop County had outgrown its setup for Emergency Medical Services, leading to increased response times. Quaranto said the county’s rapid growth created a need for more ambulances. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Bastrop County’s population grew 13.9% between 2020 and 2023—making it the 13th fastest-growing county in Texas. Johnson said the board worked with the county to grid the 900 square miles in 1-square-mile incre- ments to address that need. “We looked at the population density in each one of those and then assigned them a response time expectation based upon the population density,” he said. “Stations are located along major roadways with close proximity to highest demand areas, yet spread out enough to cover as much as possible.”
Western exurban area (Cedar Creek area) All other unincorporated areas of the county
Suburban: 500-1,299 residents per square mile Rural: 50-499 residents per square mile Frontier: fewer than 50 residents per square mile
Potential penalty for noncompliance up to $4,000 per month
Potential penalty for noncompliance up to $25,000 per month
30
30
25
25
20
20
15
15
10
10
5
5
0
0
Non-life-threatening Priority 2 calls
Non-life-threatening Priority 2 calls
Life-threatening Priority 1 calls
Life-threatening Priority 1 calls
SOURCE: BASTROP COUNTY ESD 3/COMMUNITY IMPACT
18
COMMUNITYIMPACT.COM
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