MARLIN, Texas (KXXV) — Falls County, currently operating with only two ambulances, may receive $350,000 in state funding through House Bill 3000, co-sponsored by Rep. Angelia Orr, to purchase a new ambulance.
- Falls County currently relies on only two ambulances, creating challenges for emergency response in rural areas.
- House Bill 3000, co-sponsored by Rep. Angelia Orr, could provide $350,000 in funding for a new county-operated ambulance.
- Local leaders say the bill would reduce response times and lower reliance on costly contracted ambulance services.
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
“Our core mission is the ambulance, that’s where we spend most of our money,” President of the Falls County Emergency Services District One Bill Range said.
Falls County operates with only two ambulances — a stark reality for a rural area where access to emergency medical care is critical. But that could soon change.
House bill 3000, backed and co-signed by State Representative Angelia Orr, could provide $350,000 to pay for a new ambulance for rural areas like Falls County
“We would like to operate our own ambulance at some point, and this bill would help us tremendously,” said Range.
25 News spoke with Bill Range, president of the Falls County Emergency Services District One (ESD 1), who has spent the past several months advocating for the bill and meeting with state representatives.
He emphasizes the challenges rural communities face in accessing timely medical services — an issue that's especially pressing in Falls County.
Currently, the county pays about $46,000 a month for a contracted ambulance service.
“It works out to be about $1,500 a day for that service,” Range said.
That cost is one reason the county hopes to purchase and operate its ambulance.
“It’s pretty quick response time within the city of Marlin, but when they are going East, West, North, or South, is when we are looking at so many minutes of response time, and we are looking to reduce that response time and better serve our citizens,” Range said.
25 News attended Thursday night’s ESD 1 meeting, where board members shared further insight into the bill.
Confirming that House Bill 3000 has passed the Texas House and is now awaiting consideration in the Senate.
While the board is optimistic about the potential funding, they also raised key questions — such as how the $350,000 would be divided among the county’s three ESD’s and who would staff the new ambulance.
Despite these concerns, board members remain hopeful.
