GRIMES COUNTY, Texas (KRHD) — Grimes County approves 2 new ambulances as aging fleet struggles to keep up with growth
Watch the full story here:
Grimes County commissioners voted Wednesday to purchase 2 new ambulances for St. Joseph EMS, as an aging fleet and rising call volume strain emergency medical services in the growing county.
The current fleet of 4 ambulances is more than 7 years old, and officials say it is no longer sufficient to meet demand.
"The fleet that we have is aging. They're all 7+ years old, and that's a lot of calls on those trucks," St. Joseph EMS Chief Billy Rice said.
Rice said the county regularly relies on outside help to cover gaps in coverage.
"We regularly supplement Grimes County with ambulances that come out of College Station. Like we do that today," Rice said.
Rice added that even with the new additions, more will be needed.
"And we know today that's not enough," Rice said.
The 2 ambulances approved this week are in addition to 2 others already on order.
"We ordered two last year that will be delivered sometime in the next month and a half, and then we've got 2 more scheduled to be ordered in our upcoming budget for next year," Grimes County Commissioner Precinct 4 Phillip Cox said.
Call volume is expected to continue climbing as the county's population grows.
"We expect probably 10% or more increases in call volume every year for the next at least 4 to 6 years," Rice said.
Dr. Mike Delittla of Grimes County Emergency First Responders said the strain on the current fleet has real consequences for residents.
"It makes it difficult sometimes when 1 unit is out or even more than 1 unit is busy and somebody else has to roll in their place, delaying their response time," Delittla said.
Delittla said the county is moving in the right direction.
"We need to expand and try to play catch up with our emergency services," Delittla said.
"And I'm excited to hear that we are expanding," Delittla said.
Rice said the commissioners' action this week carries long-term significance.
"What they did this week and what they've been doing and working on is really important to the sustainability of emergency medical care in this county," Rice said.
Commissioners hope to expand to a fleet of 8 ambulances over the next few years to meet the county's continued growth.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
