Lavaca County approves fourth EMS crew, transfers $220,000 from general fund

Lavaca County Commissioners Court on April 28 approved creation of a fourth county EMS crew and directed a $220,000 transfer from the county general fund to the EMS fund to staff the unit for the remainder of the fiscal year.

The vote came after a detailed briefing from Michael Furr, the county EMS director, who described rising call volumes, repeated "status 0" periods in which no ambulances were available, and operational strains from long interfacility transfers and hospital "wall time." Furr said the new crew would be based at Howlettsville Station and require hiring six employees (three paramedics and three EMTs); he said the county already has the necessary capital equipment and that the $220,000 covers salaries, benefits and payroll taxes through the fiscal year.

"We proposed the addition of one fully staffed ambulance, which will be based out of Howlettsville Station," Furr told the court. He presented call-volume data and training metrics to justify the change: 225 people trained in…