Allen Johnson, Bastrop County ESD No. 3 executive director, oversees district-run fire and emergency medical services operations, which began Oct. 1 with new staff, equipment and expanded response capabilities. (Courtesy Bastrop County ESD No. 3)
Editor's note: Click here to see this story as it appears in Community Impact's October print edition.
On Oct. 1, the district took over from contractor Acadian Ambulance, completing a transition that began after voters created ESD No. 3 in 2024.
"The transition went very smooth overall," ESD No. 3 Executive Director Allen Johnson said. "We have a great team, and they invested a lot of time and effort to be ready."
Johnson said the district was needed to expand ambulance coverage, improve response times and establish dedicated funding for a system that operated with just four ambulances covering the 900-square-mile county.
Bastrop ESD No. 3 Medical Director Dr. Zach Mauro said the new model brings updated protocols and more units to get help to patients faster.
Source: Bastrop County ESD No. 3/Community Impact
What's new?
Johnson said the fleet is now larger, with bigger and better-equipped ambulances.
ESD No. 3 Board President James “Scooter” Green said at the time the goal was a system that “not only catches up with the current county needs, but scales as the county grows.”
Source: Bastrop County ESD No. 3/Community Impact
In addition to more ambulances and a quicker response time, the tools crews have access to on the units were also upgraded.
Don Rose, ESD No. 3 director of clinical services, said each ambulance carries ventilators, IV pumps, heart monitors and more medications for sepsis, open fractures, low blood pressure and pain. EMS supervisors also carry ultrasound equipment, and video laryngoscopes can aid with airway management.
Nichole Kuhlmann, ESD No. 3 communications center manager, said the biggest change for residents is that medical insurance payments are considered payment in full.
How it's been going
The takeover follows Acadian’s June 2025-September 2026 contract, when response-time compliance sometimes fell below the 90% benchmark—resulting in fines.
Source: Bastrop County ESD No. 3/Community Impact
Ernesto Rodriguez, ESD No. 3 director of data analytics, said money Acadian set aside for fines helped fund a third peak-load ambulance added in January that provided “much-needed system capacity.”
The bottom line
Most homeowners won't notice a difference in their ESD No. 3 property tax bills after officials adopted a Fiscal Year 2026-27 tax rate of $0.10 per $100 of taxable value—the same rate as last year.
Source: Bastrop County ESD No. 3/Community Impact
The average homestead valued at $308,252 will generate a $308.25 tax bill—about nine cents more than last year due to a $90 increase in the average taxable property value.
What's next?
Kelly Curry, director of infrastructure and procurement, said the district will begin evaluating for future growth after the beginning of the year. That planning comes as projections for EMS demand continue to rise.
