Bryan city leaders approve new ambulance purchases and emergency response measures

BRYAN, Texas (KBTX) -The Bryan City Council met on Tuesday to address critical public safety measures aimed at improving emergency services in Brazos County.

Four agenda items focused on enhancing public safety, including the approval of purchasing four fully equipped ambulances costing up to $1,713,174.72. These new vehicles, sourced from vendors such as Frazer, Sterling McCall, Stryker, Metro Fire, GTS Technology Solutions, and Knox, replace aging ambulances to bolster reliability in emergency response.

“We try to replace them about every 90,000 miles, but because of some supply chain issues, we’ve had to use those a little bit longer than we like to. So we’re gonna be getting those ambulances in service here before the end of the year and we try to make sure that we have as many vehicles that are running appropriately maintained well,” said Bryan City Councilman Jared Salvato.

One ambulance was approved for purchase in FY 2023 but delayed due to chassis availability issues. The remaining three ambulances were approved for purchase in FY 2024 to replace aging units in the BFD fleet.

Jared Salvato, Bryan City Councilmember, Single Member District 3

“We usually have maybe one spare at most times for all these things and so we’ve had to rob parts off one ambulance and put on another ambulance until we get parts coming in. This has been an ongoing thing to try to get the ambulances that we’ve needed,” explained Bryan Fire Chief Richard Giusti.

The new ambulances will feature extended length for improved equipment storage and cost approximately $428,293.68 each. The city says BFD’s increasing call volume necessitates fleet expansion to maintain public safety standards amidst supply chain challenges and vehicle wear issues.

Richard Giusti, Bryan Fire Chief (Donnie Tuggle/Bryan-College Station)

Additionally, the council voted on a resolution to establish new ambulance transport and medical service rates, aligning with Texas Department of Insurance standards. According to city documents, Basic Life Support (BLS) rates increased from $1,200 to $1,400, and Advanced Life Support 2 (ALS2) rose from $1,650 to $2,400, aiming to cover rising operational costs.

The city says they provide emergency medical ambulance service in accordance with Resolution No. 4015, passed in 2022, which established rates for ambulance services based on the level of care provided. Proposed updates to these rates align with Texas Department of Insurance standards, aiming to ensure fair reimbursement for services provided by municipal ambulance services. They say the changes are intended to support sustainable operations and maintain high-quality emergency medical response for Bryan and Brazos County residents.

The council also adopted a revised fee schedule for services provided by the Bryan Fire Department, replacing outdated rates from 1996 to reflect current service costs. The city says this update addresses increased operational expenses and the complexity of emergency calls.

Bryan Fire Department

The city says the department has faced rising operational expenses in recent years, attributed to increased equipment maintenance, medical supplies, protective gear, and personnel training costs. These challenges coincide with a growth in emergency call volume and complexity within the community. The city says the proposed fee adjustments aim to offset these rising costs, ensuring the department can maintain high standards in emergency response, firefighter safety, customer service, and training.

City leaders also passed an ordinance aimed at targeting the misuse of emergency services for non-emergency situations. The ordinance defines emergency criteria and imposes penalties for false emergency claims, optimizing the Bryan Fire Department’s response efficiency and resource allocation.