Spicewood EMS station goes operational
Glynis Crawford Smith/The Highlander
Drawing the first day on call at the new Spicewood Station for the Marble Falls Area Emergency Medical Service (MFAEMS) are emergency medicial technician Alex Dunavant, left, and paramedic Travis Gray talking with Johnny Bindseil, a member of the Burnet County Emergency Service District 9. As they turned on the lights Monday, Dec. 18, at the new station next to Spicewood Elementary School, 1005 Texas Spur 191, MFAEMS executive director Johnny Campbell and operations director Kevin Naumann, not pictured, were on the road to pick up the new ambulance assigned there. ESD 9 will hold an official open house celebration on Feb. 10.
As of Monday, Dec. 18, the new Burnet County Emergency Service District (ESD) No. 9 Emergency Medical Service (EMS) station in Spicewood is operational — bringing a community effort to reality.
The station is located on Spur 191, adjacent to the Spicewood Elementary School, and will be staffed 24 hours a day, seven days a week, by Marble Falls Area Emergency Medical Service (EMS).
Once the station is online, average paramedic response time for the Burnet County-Spicewood region will be reduced from 22 minutes to less than 10 minutes; a difference that could mean life or death for patients in need of assistance.
Two years ago, Spicewood voters approved a two-percent sales and use tax for Burnet County ESD No. 9 (ESD9) to help fund emergency medical services in the region. In November 2016, ESD No. 9 announced plans to establish the new EMS station in Spicewood, working with Marble Falls Independent School District to get land donated for the station site.
Construction on the station began this past July. In announcing the opening of the station, ESD No. 9 Commissioner Byron Zinn was quick to point out that “there are numerous individuals and organizations whose time and generosity made the station possible.
“Building this station was truly a community effort, and I am pleased to announce we are not only ahead of schedule but are also finishing this project under budget thanks to the tremendous support we’ve received,” Zinn added.
Among those recognized were:
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Marble Falls ISD and Dr. Chris Allen for donating the land to build the station.
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Commissioner Joe Don Dockery for his time and work with the Burnet County Commissioners Court, the Texas Department of Transportation, and other government agencies and vendors.
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Johnny Campbell, Executive Director of MFAEMS for his assistance with building design, specifications, and overall project management.
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Vulcan Materials, Corix Utilities, Tony Plumlee of Willis Engineering Services, Robert Klaeger Legal Services, Matt Fields of FieldCo Builders, Kelly Steele Square Foot Solutions, and ESD9 Commissioner Johnny Bindseil who helped oversee building construction.
“Most of all, we thank Dean and Patsy Lester, along with their family members and friends for providing over 40 years of tireless volunteer service to this community. We wouldn’t be where we are today without their efforts,” Zinn said.
ESD No. 9 will hold an official open house and celebration for the new Spicewood EMS station on Feb. 10, 2018, providing all Spicewood residents the opportunity to tour the station, learn more about the ESD, and meet the first responders and paramedic team.
In the meantime, residents wanting to learn more about emergency services in the ESD9 region are encouraged to attend the monthly ESD9 Commissioners meetings, held at 6:30 p.m. the second Thursday of each month at the Spicewood VFD/EMS Fire Station.
About Burnet County ESD No. 9
Burnet County ESD No. 9 is a political subdivision of the State of Texas established in November 2013 under Ch 775 of the Texas Health and Safety Code after area voters overwhelmingly approved the measure. It is governed in accordance with applicable law by a board of volunteer, uncompensated emergency services commissioners appointed by the Burnet County Commissioners Court. The District has adopted as its mission statement: “Burnet County ESD 9 exists to promote the health, welfare and safety of residents and visitors to our District by providing highly effective and efficient fire and life safety services through prudent use of available resources.” For more information, visit www.burnetcountyesd9.org
About Marble Falls Area EMS
Marble Falls Area EMS is a 501 (c) (3) non-profit corporation established in 1976 by a dedicated group of volunteers. Over the past 20 years, service has grown from a small volunteer service to a fully paid ambulance service that provides quality pre-hospital care to some 47,000 citizens in Southern Burnet and Southeastern Llano Counties. The MFAEMS service area spans over 350 square miles with many miles of lake and river shoreline which provides requires a unique call mixture of rescue/trauma and medical responses. MFAEMS is governed by a volunteer board of directors that meets on the third Wednesday of every month at their central station in Marble Falls, TX. For more information, visit, www.marblefallsareaems.org
About Spicewood VFD-EMS, Inc
Spicewood VFD-‐‐EMS, Inc is a non profit Texas corporation, just use provides tax-exempt status under Section 501(c) (4) of the Internal Revenue Code. The department has provided volunteer fire and emergency medical services to the Burnet County Spicewood community since its founding in 1976 and responds with trained volunteers to hundreds of calls each year for emergency services. For more details, or if you are interested in volunteering with the Spicewood VFDEMS, visit www.spicewoodvfd.org.
