Uvalde County court votes to apply for state ambulance grant for Concan EMS
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Summary
The Uvalde County Commissioners Court voted 3–1 to apply for a House Bill 3000 ambulance grant and designate Concan Fire & EMS as the recipient to replace a vehicle lost to fire; county staff and EMS leaders debated recipient selection, insurance and ownership arrangements before the vote.
The Uvalde County Commissioners Court voted 3–1 on Jan. 7 to apply for a state ambulance grant under House Bill 3000 and designate Concan Fire & EMS as the recipient to replace a vehicle lost in a recent fire.
County staff explained that HB 3000 provides rural counties either $350,000 or $500,000 toward purchasing ambulances depending on population. Carl, speaking for county staff, told the court that “based on Uvalde County’s population, Uvalde County is eligible to receive $350,000,” and outlined application steps through the state comptroller’s website.
Local EMS leaders described operational needs and insurance considerations during the discussion. An EMS representative noted the service’s fleet and mileage pressures, saying the county’s providers “do cover a lot of territory” and that many ambulances have “over 250,000 miles” on them. Steven Stevens, who helped advocate for the grant at the state level, said he “pushed hard for this” to benefit rural EMS across Texas and that getting an ambulance would be important if awarded.
Commissioners debated whether the county should be the direct recipient of the grant or assign it to a taxing entity such as an ESD. County staff clarified that the application must designate a recipient and that if the county is the recipient the vehicle would be county property and operated by the designated provider. Concerns were raised that gifting a county‑owned ambulance could complicate insurance reimbursements to third parties.
After discussion and public remarks urging the court to prioritize Concan’s urgent needs, the court approved a motion to apply for the HB 3000 funds in favor of Concan EMS by a 3–1 vote. Commissioners did not record a full roll-call vote in the transcript; the clerk announced the motion carried 3–1.
Next steps: county staff will complete the application through the state comptroller’s site and return to the court with any required documentation or a proposed recipient agreement if the award is made.
