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Polk County fire marshal outlines gaps in volunteer departments' medical response
Summary
The Polk County fire marshal reported that volunteer departments operate at three distinct medical-capability levels — licensed first responders (FRO), nonlicensed basic first-aid units, and departments that opt out of medical calls — and identified several local departments by status, including one recently removed from ambulance dispatch.
The Polk County fire marshal told the commissioners that volunteer fire departments in the county operate at three distinct levels of medical capability and that not all volunteer companies respond to medical calls.
"The first one would be what we call a FRO department and that's first responder only," the fire marshal said, explaining that FRO units must be "licensed with the state Texas Department of State Health Services" and operate under physician protocols. The marshal said three Polk County departments fall under that category and listed several other local departments as nonlicensed, providing basic life-support care such as CPR.
The marshal said some departments have formally opted out of medical calls — a status in place for "decades" for some companies, and for at least one department that change occurred after 11/5/2025. He specifically said Indian Springs Volunteer Fire Department is not currently being contacted by ambulance services because of "certain issues that have gone on" in that department.
Commissioners asked whether the opt-out statuses have been longstanding; the marshal said some have existed for decades while others are more recent. The presentation was delivered as part of the county's informational reports; no formal action was taken, but commissioners invited questions and clarification.
The report is intended to clarify which volunteer departments provide advanced medical response and which provide only basic first aid, so elected officials and emergency planners can align dispatch protocols and public expectations.
Next steps were not specified in the meeting record; commissioners asked follow-up questions and acknowledged the need to ensure residents know which local departments will respond to medical incidents.
