During the June 10 Fort Worth City Council meeting, the fiscal year 2024-25 budget was adjusted for three months, from July 1 to Sept. 30, for the city assuming control of MedStar and operating ambulance services out of the Fort Worth Fire Department.
According to city documents, the funding will be used to cover estimated operating costs for the transition. That includes items such as uniforms and oxygen tanks as well as salaries for employees.
EMS service will be budgeted in the fiscal year 2025-26 budget, which starts Oct. 1.
What else?
According to its website, the Metropolitan Area Emergency Service Authority was created by the city of Fort Worth in 1986 for emergency medical services. In 2005, interlocal agreements were reached with nearby towns to provide services outside city limits to 13 other towns.
MedStar covers 436 square miles in Tarrant County with a fleet of 65 ambulances, according to its website.
According to previous reporting, the city's EMS program will have an $85 million annual budget with anticipated revenues of $65 million.
The countdown is on!
Onlyweeks away from the official transition when the @CityofFortWorth takes full responsibility for all of the ambulance service delivery in Fort Worth and our 14 member cities.
Follow along with us over these next couple of weeks as we show you... pic.twitter.com/LjhR11mLqi— Fort Worth Fire Department (@FortWorthFire) June 19, 2025
A closer look
Council approved a 20-year contract that could extend to 30 years with two renewals with Flock for installing and maintaining non-police department flock license plate readers on public right-of-ways, according to city documents.
Flock will install and maintain certain private cameras within the city’s right-of-way. The company will be responsible for paying the permit and inspection fee of $250 per camera, as well as an annual usage fee per camera.
According to city documents, the city has identified private cameras that were inadvertently installed in the city's right-of-way. Flock worked with HOAs and businesses to relocate private cameras onto private property where feasible, but a few HOAs and businesses have asked the city to allow some cameras to remain in the right-of-way for camera effectiveness.
