Pflugerville Fire Chief Ron Moellenberg announced today that the Pflugerville Fire Department rolled out its first ambulance, a significant step to improving emergency services in the area. PFD getting its own service has been years in the works, Moellenberg said, and the process began in 2013 when taxpayers approved a 1/2 cent sales tax increase to fund the project for the Travis County Emergency Services District No. 2. “This is a direct result of voter support and our strategic planning process,” Moellenberg said in a statement. “We created a plan because we saw a clear need in our rapidly growing community, with most of our 8,000 calls a year being medical calls.” In what Moellenberg termed a "soft opening," Travis County ESD No. 2 put its first ambulance on the street about five weeks ago, and the department is already seeing improved emergency response times. Mike Bessner, Travis County ESD No. 2 commissioner and board president, said it took a lot of persistence from Moellenberg to make the project a reality, stating that every time Moellenberg faced a stumbling block, he would work through the process and find a solution. Travis County ESD No. 2 serves about 100,000 people across 100 square miles of territory, and in recent years ambulances were not always immediately available, according to PFD. “Because we truly care about those we serve, we are dedicated to enhancing services while also maintaining efficiency,” Moellenberg said. “It will be a huge benefit to our community to have such a highly skilled workforce in emergency services.”