The big picture
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.
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 increments 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.”
Acadian has operated without property tax funding, covering its costs through service fees and billing, Quaranto said.
That will change in the new fiscal year this October, when the district begins collecting local property taxes at a rate capped at $0.10 per $100 of assessed value, according to county documents. The district has not yet set its fiscal year budget or the tax rate. When it does, a public hearing will be held prior to approval of the budget and tax rate.
The district received a $3.1 million tax anticipation note, similar to a short-term loan, to fund services and cover startup expenses in the interim. Johnson said the loan will be paid back from tax revenue by March 2026.
The monthly subsidy for the seven ambulances and the supervisor is $223,166.
Johnson said whether the district chooses a longer-term contract with Acadian or another private company, or opts for a county-run department, the cost will be about the same.
The outlook
Johnson said most residents who attended town halls favored a locally operated EMS service, which remains under consideration.
“If Acadian comes in and they knock it out of the park and that provides value to the taxpayer, then why wouldn’t we look at that?” he said.
Bastrop County Judge Gregory Klaus said the county has appointed a strong district leadership team to oversee the services.
Johnson said the board is searching for a property in the city of Bastrop to build the district’s central station.
Going forward, he said they will study call volume to assess future needs.
