The ambulance service provides service to 15 other cities and villages near and within Fort Worth. According to its website, the Metropolitan Area Emergency Service Authority was created by the city of Fort Worth in 1986. In 2005, interlocal agreements were reached with nearby towns to provide services outside of the city limits. MedStar covers 436 square miles in Tarrant County with a fleet of 65 ambulances, according to its website.
Zooming out
MedStar needed the money to help address a budget shortfall, according to documents. This need was caused by a combination of insurance companies paying less along with retaining emergency medical technicians and paramedics costing more.
The ambulance service, based in Fort Worth, is doing a financial study for future needs. An ad hoc council committee on emergency medical response operations is also looking at MedStar’s services and other options, according to city documents. That committee has until April 30 to provide a recommendation.
Zooming in
While Fort Worth is footing the bill for the initial $4.2 million in funding, City Manager David Cooke said discussions are underway with other municipalities to have them contribute as well.
“It is important to have sustained MedStar operations,” Cooke said during the Sept. 19 meeting.
MedStar officials first discussed the need for transitional help during a June 28 council meeting. At the time, District 6 Council Member Jared Williams said city staff should look into fire-based EMS services. Two cities that border Fort Worth, Keller and Westlake, have that model.
“I do not support footing the whole bill for a temporary bailout,” Williams said at the Sept. 19 council meeting.
Current situation
MedStar not only provides service in Fort Worth, but it also serves Blue Mound, Edgecliff Village, Forest Hill, Haltom City, Haslet, Lakeside, Lake Worth, River Oaks, Saginaw, Sansom Park, Westover Hills, Westworth Village and White Settlement.
The company averages 190,000 calls a year, according to the website. In a social media post, MedStar released its numbers from September that included:
- 14,099 total calls
- 7,976 medical calls
- 6,132 trauma calls
- 2,190 interfacilty transfers
- 852 calls for traffic incidents
- 310 calls for strokes or stroke-like symptoms
- 142 cardiac arrest calls
- 22 calls for animal bites
