Comal County Emergency Services Districts report reserves, fleet upgrades and station plans in annual briefings

Multiple Comal County Emergency Services Districts presented their 2024 operational and financial reports to the Comal County Commissioners Court on Jan. 30, outlining rising call volumes, equipment purchases and plans for new stations and strategic planning.

The presentations, delivered in sequence by ESD leaders, emphasized that EMS runs and overall responses rose in 2024 while wildfire incidents decreased. ESD 5 reported an 8.74% increase in total responses and an 11.3% rise in EMS calls; ESD 3 and 2 said ESD 3 recorded about $15.8 million in revenue with approximately $9.5 million in reserves (roughly 10 months of operating funds) and ran 5,084 calls—an 8.5% increase over 2023—at an average response time of 7.2 minutes. ESD leaders said they replaced aging SCBA packs and an ambulance and are budgeting for additional personnel and facilities upgrades in 2025.

ESD 5 president Deb Prushak described joint operations under a provider agreement through 2030 and detailed capital work that included purchase of a ladder truck and ambulances, land purchases on East Ammon and a parcel west of Blanco for future stations, and a community wildfire protection planning effort. ‘‘We were able to meet or exceed our response times across the board,’’ Prushak said, noting a rotating peak‑time ambulance was stationed to reduce strain in the northern part of the district.

Canyon Lake–area ESD leaders (ESD 2 and 3) said they serve six stations and roughly 27,000 year‑round residents—peaking far higher during summer lake usage—and maintain interlocal agreements that fund medical services and station mortgages. Stuart Medigloft, ESD 3 president, said ESD 3’s tax rate has trended downward while reserves remain sufficient for planned investments; he noted the districts paid off one station mortgage in 2024 and continue servicing others.

ESD 6 reported increased responses in the I‑46 corridor and said a $550,000 tender will be purchased from reserves with no new debt. Officials said they have chartered a master planning committee to anticipate growth from at least two planned subdivisions.

ESD 7 and New Braunfels Fire Department officials described a contract model in which the city provides staffing for much of the ESD territory. Chief Lozano said the ESD and city continue to expand mobile integrated health (MIH) work to reduce repeat 911 calls and have seen the program avoid roughly 300 calls in its first year of operation. The New Braunfels chief also described station 7 and a strategic use of squad vehicles intended to preserve heavy apparatus life and reduce response costs for EMS‑heavy call volumes.

The presentations included programmatic and fiscal details—tax rates, sales tax receipts, capital and operating expenditures, reserve months and outstanding debts—and concluded with leaders’ short‑term plans for additional personnel, new stations, bay expansions and training or logistics facilities.

Comal County commissioners thanked ESD volunteers and leaders for their work and noted the presentations’ role in helping the court plan for growth and public safety budgets in 2025.