A burn ban has been issued for Erath County for the next 90 days.
The commissioners court discussed the burn ban at a special called meeting Monday, Jan. 6, and if it was still necessary with the upcoming predicted precipitation.
“I still think we need to put the burn ban on because I don’t care if you get a foot and a half of snow, it thaws out and the wind is blowing, and you have six inches left, then there is a fire and you can’t get to it,” Precinct 4 Commissioner Jim Buck said.
Erath County Judge Brandon Huckabee said if conditions change, the court could decide to remove the burn ban before 90 days is up.
After much discussion, the court gave preliminary approval to work towards a Memorandum of Understanding with the city of Stephenville to house Erath County EMS at Stephenville FD Station No. 2 located at 1301 Pecan Hill Drive off the Northwest Loop (Robert J Glasgow Loop).
County EMS Director Cary Jackson said he had regular meetings with the city’s fire department and they had offered them room at the station in an effort to reduce call times on the west side of the county. Currently, there are four ambulances that operate in the entire county: one in Dublin, one in Stephenville and two Erath County EMS, housed at 830B E Road in Stephenville.
The MOU must be negotiated and approved by the commissioners’ court at a later date before the change will occur, he said. Currently, the city of Stephenville runs one ambulance and it would move to the downtown fire station.
Precinct 2 County Commissioner Albert Ray asked about associated costs with the proposed move. According to Jackson, there would be no costs associated with it.
Precinct 1 Commissioner Dee Stephens inquired about the county having to take patient transfers. Jackson explained Stephenville would still be taking patient transfers and would be called from downtown to do so.
Part of the proposed changes would be providing EMS with two bedrooms at the station, a female only bathroom and a supply room. Narcotics will still have to come from the current EMS station.
“I think this will benefit our citizens by cutting response times down. Sure, the ambulance is still going to run calls where ever they’re needed,” Jackson said.
Ray said all they were doing was moving longer response times from one area of the county to the other, when the west side ambulance had to respond to a call on the east side.
“The priority here is the response time?” Commissioner Sherman Edwards asked. “We aren’t concerned with the cost, we are just concerned with the response times. I know it’s gonna happen ... like with what Albert was saying, it already happens. Response time is what’s important. If it can save two minutes, it can save a life. So that’s what is important.”
Ray asked if this was permanent or a temporary solution.
Jackson responded they were looking at it to become a permanent solution.
“To me, if it’s so important why doesn’t the county buy some land out there and look at building a station out there?” Ray asked.
Ray said then they could move a firetruck over there if necessary.
“Because I promise you if you are having problems getting an ambulance over there, then you’re having problems getting firetrucks there,” he said.
Stephens said he would be all for building another station, but in the meantime this would make sense.
“Lingleville has firetrucks. Dublin has firetrucks. Is it better for them to respond to those situations that are on those sides of town?” Edwards commented.
Stephens said it was hard to man a volunteer fire station.
Edwards said he thought it was a great idea to house them at Station 2, but in the future it would make sense to build their own accommodations.
Huckabee expressed that he hasn’t been involved in the meetings, but has talked to many people about this.
“I’ve looked at this since I’ve been here, and it is all about response times,” he said. “It’s about minutes, saved lives, and everyone getting along. In the history of the world, usually the people who are doing the job get along and do a really good job – whether that’s the police department, EMS, Sheriff’s department or fire department or whoever it is. And sometimes we screw that up.”
Huckabee said he hasn’t been involved on purpose and that those involved know their goals.
“I did come in here thinking we would have substations for EMS and I think we will be eventually,” he said. “How do we stop gap this until then? It’s going to be expensive to build a building.”
Huckabee said this goes along with the need for a facilities plan and committee, which would be discussed at the next commissioners court meeting.
“I’m totally trusting Cary on this and he stuff that they are doing, and allow them to work it out,” he said.
Jackson explained where he came from in Walker County ambulances would be stationed at fire stations, including volunteer ones.
“It was just an interlocal agreement, but we had that,” he said.
Stephens said he is all for reducing response times for the citizens, but doesn’t want the county to become “the whipping post” where county EMS is having to take transfers while the city of Stephenville takes the major medical calls that pay.
Critical Response Paramedic Colby Swearingen presented the court with several examples of run times.
Swearingen explained when he chose a random Monday in March, during when Tarleton is in session at 5 p.m. from the current EMS station to a call in Lingleville, the response time is 18 to 24 minutes.
From the proposed relocation at Stephenville station No. 2, the same call was 10 to 14 minutes.
Another example call was given from the current EMS station to St. Mary’s Catholic Church on Hwy. 377, with a call time of 16-24 minutes. With the proposed relocation, the call time would be 8-10 minutes.
“There are going to be times, like you were saying Sherman, that we have an ambulance committed and the one has to move to take a call that’s further away. Or maybe there is a major accident and we need two ambulances on the call. The point is they are going to get care initially quicker if they are off FM 8 or Hwy. 377,” he said.
Sweringen also said that Critical Response Paramedics (CRP) have no jurisdiction and so on major accidents the area was split in two, with each ambulance having a CRP that can respond.
“It splits the resources more evenly by doing that,” he said.
Edwards said as long as Jackson is comfortable, then he was, he just wants to make sure that county isn’t the primary responder to city calls, unless they are needed.
“I think at the end of the day it’s all about taking care of the citizens, and wildly enough EMS and ambulance service is not a requirement for places to provide. You would think it is but it’s not. We just need to give you the tools and stay out of the way,” Huckabee said.
Stephens asked how Jackson’s crew felt about this change and he responded that some were for it, and some were not, but all of them understood it was necessary to reduce call volumes.
The motion passed unanimously to move forward with the MOU and will potentially move the ambulance in the future.