TRAVIS COUNTY, Texas — As new neighborhoods continue to pop up in northeast Travis County, first responders are getting more calls. That's why some communities have rallied for more funding for emergency medical services and the creation of a new emergency services district (ESD).
Now, thanks to a unanimous vote by Travis County commissioners, the issue of whether to create ESD 17 will appear on some northeast Travis County residents' ballots during the May special election.
If voters approve and ESD 17 is created, it would act as a medical overlay to cover 40,000 people in the extraterritorial jurisdictions of Austin, Manor and Taylor. That means ESD 17 would be the local government responsible for providing advanced life support and ambulance transport for those areas, according to a release from Travis County ESD 2.
The new ESD is something Travis County Commissioner Jeff Travillion has been pushing for.
"What is appropriate service? If I've had a heart attack, do I want the service to get to me in five to six minutes or 10 to 12 minutes?" Travillion asked.
Right now, Travis County ESD 2 covers multiple cities in northeast Travis County. The city governments within the boundaries for ESD 2 were able to decide whether or not they wanted to be part of the proposal for ESD 17.
The Austin City Council unanimously said yes. Austin's extraterritorial jurisdiction that would be served by ESD 17 includes the Wells Branch Municipal Utility District and portions of Northtown Municipal Utility District.
The cities of Manor and Taylor also said yes to a vote on ESD 17. Pflugerville, Round Rock and Hutto said no.
However, if ESD 17 is approved, those communities that initially said no could change their minds.
"There is a way for jurisdictions to get a second bite at the apple through inner local agreements," Travillion said. "They'll have to negotiate. It will be a contract. They'll have to negotiate what the services will be."
Travillion hopes that as the area sees growth, officials can meet the calls for help.
"As our population ages, it is critically important that we're able to get to people within the community within a reasonable amount of time," he said. "...The important thing is that, you know, we're going to have a perpetual planning cycle. This is something where we are growing in such a way that we really have to pay attention to all of the changes that are made on a yearly basis."
If ESD 17 is created, ESD 2 will still continue to provide fire protection services and rescue services in its current jurisdiction.
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