Fire chief reports big rise in EMS calls; mayor outlines county EMS collaboration and MOU requirement

The Bryan Fire Department reported a marked increase in first-responder and EMS calls at the city council meeting on Feb. 17, and Mayor (name not specified) outlined recent steps to collaborate with county EMS, including dispatch changes and a proposed 90-day plan that would require a written memorandum of understanding (MOU) and council approval before city personnel would move patients in county-owned ambulances.

The fire chief told council that the department completed its first full year of first-responder operations and that EMS-related runs now account for nearly 80% of calls. “Last year was our first year where we did all 12 months with first responder... we’ve tripled the number of incidents per year,” the chief said, noting a sharp rise in EMS work compared with earlier years. The department also reported improved response times (about one minute faster on average) and expanded commercial inspection and training activity.

The mayor said the city and the fire chief previously agreed with county EMS to have county dispatch send Bryan’s first responders to 911 calls handled by the county’s central 911 system. The mayor said the city sold a lightly used ambulance after a major mechanical repair would not have been cost effective and that county EMS has asked the city to pilot a plan in which a county-owned ambulance could be placed in the firehouse and used by city crews. The mayor emphasized that council approval of a drafted MOU would be required before any county ambulance would be used to transport patients from Bryan’s firehouse.

“We want to make sure that we have a really good plan before we just roll something out,” the mayor said, adding that training arrangements and medical oversight are being coordinated: the city’s training officer can be trained by the EMS team so recertification can happen locally.

Council members asked whether the change would increase call volume or require more hires or vehicles. The chief said the immediate answer was no, though some operational changes are possible and staff will monitor how the arrangement develops. He also described apparatus needs: the department is assembling a truck committee and expects to seek grant funding and replacement of aging vehicles; a combined rescue/engine vehicle was discussed with a rough cost estimate now above $1 million and delivery timelines of roughly three years.

The mayor and chief said that any operational changes to run county ambulances from Bryan facilities would be governed by an MOU drafted by prosecutors and approved by council before it takes effect.