Fire department starts ambulance service
New ambulance is based at fire station in Wells Branch; paramedics being added.
Travis County Emergency Services District No. 2, more commonly referred to as the Pflugerville Fire Department, recently launched its own ambulance service after becoming licensed. Though preliminary data is not yet available, officials said response times have already improved.
Fire Chief Ron Moellenberg said the department has been running an Advanced Life Support ambulance for about six weeks. Prior to the launch, Pflugerville’s ambulance service had remained unchanged for 10 to 15 years.
Dubbed “Medic 221,” a new, red ambulance is being used to respond to medical emergencies and is based out of Fire Station No. 2 in Wells Branch. The department also has an ambulance on reserve to use once the first ambulance is out of service, as is typical protocol for fire departments.
“This is a direct result of voter support and our strategic planning process,” Moellenberg said, addressing the business crowd gathered for the Pflugerville Chamber of Commerce’s luncheon. “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 2013, voters supported the ambulance service by approving a half-cent sales tax in the Travis County ESD No. 2 areas outside of Pflugerville and the Wells Branch Library district.
Next on the list is hiring paramedics to help run the ambulance service. The department added Advanced Life Support paramedics to some of its fire engines while working to add the new service. The initiative was a “dream” for Moellenberg, who aimed to enhance pre-hospital medical service in a cost-effective manner.
He said Georgetown, Plano and Sugar Land are among the cities in Texas with similar services.
“When we talk about affordable health care and changes in the model,” Moellenberg said, “we see ourselves eventually fitting into that system. We’re trying to keep people out of the emergency room, which, of course, is the most expensive form of health care.”
Paramedic services, he said, can help avoid expensive hospital visits when possible. Paramedics will double as firefighters and work out of the ambulance or engine, depending on the day and situation. The department also plans to have backup staff to prevent burnout.
Moellenberg said the department offered jobs to 16 paramedics pending successful fire academy completion.
Officials expect to have a better idea of the effect on response times within six months to a year.
“It boils down to the type and amount of training that we do as a department,” said Chief Paramedic Richard Strohacker. “Having another transporting medic unit on the ground also makes sense for response times and meeting the needs of the calls for service we receive.”
Per a department news release, Travis County ESD No. 2 serves about 100,000 people in a 100-square-mile radius consisting of suburban and rural property. The area is twice as large as the city of Pflugerville. “In recent years, ambulances were not immediately available in the district about 40 percent of the time,” the release says.