Kendall County commissioners discuss paid staffing options to bolster volunteer fire response

KENDALL COUNTY, Texas — Kendall County leaders spent a May 12 special-called workshop reviewing proposals to add paid firefighters to supplement volunteer departments in Comfort and Bergheim, weighing legal, budget and operational questions while stopping short of any final votes.

The county’s presiding official, County Judge (name not specified), opened the session by describing three central questions: whether the county should hire full- or part-time personnel, where they would be stationed and whether they would be embedded with volunteer departments or placed on county property.

The workshop gathered proposals from Bergheim and Comfort volunteer departments and a county proposal drafted by the judge and county staff. Bergheim asked the court to fund two full-time-equivalent positions by hiring part-time certified firefighters to cover 24/7 shifts; the Bergheim presentation estimated the ramp-up could use about $143,000 already budgeted for that district. Comfort submitted three options ranging from one full-time officer to three full-time supervisory positions; its preferred plan called for three officers working 48/96 shifts to supervise existing paid county firefighters at the Comfort station.

Brady, Kendall County’s fire marshal and emergency management coordinator, described the county’s objectives as supporting—not replacing—volunteer departments and ensuring “safe, reliable, and efficient fire and emergency services for all of our residents.” He and the judge proposed a third, countywide phased model that would add 12 full-time firefighters and one assistant chief to provide 24/7 coverage split between the county’s eastern (Comfort) and western (Bergheim) population centers. The judge’s estimate put gross costs for the proposal near $900,000 when equipment is included and suggested phasing the expense across two budget years to avoid a tax increase.

Speakers stressed legal and operational limits. A county attorney-type participant warned that under the Texas Local Government Code and the Fair Labor Standards Act, volunteers who receive regular pay can lose their volunteer status; that risk can be managed by ensuring some roster members remain true volunteers while paid staff are employed in a separate category. Brady and local chiefs said they believe a workable structure exists and noted other Texas counties operate mixed volunteer/paid systems.

Volunteer and chief perspectives diverged on particulars. Bergheim leaders proposed hiring part-time local firefighters to form two 24/7 full-time equivalents and requested the court approve using the unspent Bergheim allocation to begin a short ramp-up. Comfort’s chief said three supervisory officers working shift schedules would improve on previous 9-to-5 county staffing that had failed to attract experienced personnel. Several volunteer chiefs and retired fire officials cautioned against creating a separate county-run fire department with its own stations and equipment, saying that model—used elsewhere—carries much higher startup costs and management complications.

Commissioners asked for more documents and time. Commissioner Chapman, Commissioner Carpenter and Commissioner Wiesen (spelled as in the meeting) each urged continuing the conversation with the chiefs most affected and requested copies of all proposals and the survey results. The court’s representatives said the survey (completed by 82 respondents) would be released after review by general counsel; the judge explicitly directed legal review before public posting.

No motions or votes were taken at the workshop. Commissioners and chiefs repeatedly emphasized the goal of supplementing volunteers rather than replacing them and reiterated that incident command on any emergency scene must remain the responsibility of the on-scene chief. The treasurer for one volunteer district, Bob Fry, said payroll administration could likely be handled efficiently using modern bookkeeping tools and that the volunteer organizations could consider county payroll support if the court chose that path.

Next steps identified at the end of the meeting included legal review of the survey and proposed agreements, circulation to the court of the participating departments’ written proposals, and further discussions about where county-funded staff would be stationed and how a phased budget approach would be structured. The judge said phasing would be preferred to a single-year, countywide tax increase.

The special-called session ended with no formal approvals; commissioners said they intend to continue working with chiefs and staff on a plan that protects volunteer departments while addressing rising call volume across the county.