County EMS Director Testifies at Capitol

Fayette County EMS Director Josh Vandever testified at the State Capitol Monday in favor of House Bill 3000.

If passed the legislation would provide rural EMS services with up to $500,000 to purchase new ambulances. Fayette County would be eligible for $350,000 according to the language of the bill.

Vandever was among several rural EMS department leaders who testified before the House Committee on Public Health. They all spoke about how the rising cost of ambulances hinders their ability to provide quality healthcare in rural areas.

“In 2021, I ordered on behalf of Fayette County, Texas, an ambulance for a cost of $239,000. Before that ambulance was delivered in 2022, I ordered the exact same ambulance for $329,000. That was a $90,000 increase in one year. Those numbers are burned into my brain because that stung.”

Vandever said Fayette County ultimately did not buy the second ambulance. He was able to find a cheaper one from a different manufacturer.

“This last year, that other manufacturer caught up, as those things tend to happen” Vandever said. “So we just ordered an ambulance for next year’s budget at the low cost of $349,000. We’re not building these things into luxury vehicles.”

Vandever said ambulances in Fayette County have to travel about 70 miles to the nearest Level 1 Trauma Center in Austin. As a result, Fayette County puts 275,000 to 300,000 miles on an ambulance before replacing it, he said.

Fayette County faces some unique challenges for the EMS service. It’s a rural county with a much lower tax base than counties closer to metro areas. But several major highways run through Fayette County – SH 71, US 290 and Interstate 10, Vandever testified. He also noted that several of the committee members drive through Fayette County on their way to work at the Capitol.

Vandever said the EMS service currently costs the County about $4.5 million a year. The department brings in about $2.5 million in revenue.

“Even trying to run as fiscally responsible as possible, the costs of these apparatus are putting a pretty strong hurdle in place for us to overcome and deliver quality service to rural Texas.”

Lavaca and Colorado County EMS Director Michael Furrh also testified before the Public Health Committee. Furrh said that many rural counties without a hospital especially depend on EMS services for front-line healthcare. That situation certainly applies to Fayette County, since St. Mark’s Hospital in La Grange remains shuttered.

Vandever was back at the Capitol on Wednesday testifying for the companion bill in the Senate. Vandever said folks at the Capitol he spoke with seemed very optimistic about the bill passing this session.