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County approves Somerset ISD EMT affiliation and mutual-aid agreement with Lone Star Ambulance after surge in calls
Summary
Atascosa County approved an affiliation allowing Somerset ISD EMT students to obtain ambulance clinical hours and authorized a mutual-aid agreement with Lone Star Ambulance Services to provide backup 911 coverage when county units are tied up; EMS director reported 51 calls in a 48-hour surge as a key rationale.
The commissioners approved two EMS-related agreements on March 23: an affiliation agreement with Somerset Independent School District so high school EMT students can obtain required clinical ambulance hours with Atascosa County EMS, and a mutual-aid agreement with Lone Star Ambulance Services LLC to provide backup 911 coverage when county ambulances are committed.
Courtney Greer, the county EMS director, told the court that Somerset ISD recently started an EMT program and many students live in Atascosa County. Greer described existing affiliation agreements with other training providers and said the Somerset agreement would allow students to gain hands-on experience "under certified paramedics and EMTs before they can go test for their national certification."
Greer also said a mutual-aid contract with Lone Star Ambulance was developed after an incident about a month earlier when county ambulances were all on calls and additional pending calls had to be covered. "We were dispatched to 51 calls in those 48 hours," Greer said, describing a surge that weekend as the rationale for a standing mutual-aid contract to ensure coverage when county units are unavailable.
Both agreements were approved by the court, subject to legal review where noted in the affiliation agreement, and the record shows the court voted to authorize the arrangements.
