AUSTIN, Texas — The Travis County Commissioners Court has unanimously approved funds for an emergency services consultant.
The county currently pays Austin-Travis County EMS (ATCEMS), STAR Flight and ESD No. 2 for emergency services. But costs to maintain those relationships go up each year.
Leaders say hiring a consultant could help the county manage that spending and address growth.
On Tuesday, commissioners earmarked $400,000 to create the position.
"Oftentimes, things seem untimely and they may even seem expensive, but failing to plan is planning to fail," Travis County Commissioner Jeff Travillion said.
"I think it makes a great deal of sense, and it would help us manage this in a more complete way than just reacting to issues as they come to us," Travis County Commissioner Brigid Shea said.
The consultant's scope of work will be decided at a later date, according to agenda documents.
In March, ATCEMS officials told KVUE they want to see public infrastructure keep up with the population growth in the Austin area.
“Travis County really needs to do the strategic work to think about how it’s going to accommodate growth in the county,” Selena Xie, president of the Austin EMS Association, said.
Xie said that Travis County invited ATCEMS to its emergency services subcommittee meeting to talk about a strategic plan for EMS stations going forward. The county made a statement about its commitment to working with ATCEMS during this growth:
“As Travis County continues to experience significant expansion, particularly in areas outside our urban cores, it is crucial that we collaborate among our 21 municipalities and towns to effectively meet the increasing demands of growth in our region and provide adequate resources for our first responders. We look forward to working together to address these challenges.”