The City of Fort Worth is gearing up for a major overhaul of its Emergency Medical Services, as MedStar transitions out and the Fort Worth Fire Department (FWFD) steps in to take charge of operations starting July 1. Officials believe this move will centralize and improve EMS across the board, as reported on Fort Worth's official website.
Aiming to create an environment where fire and medical services can work more closely, the change promises to not just maintain, but to significantly enhance service delivery, according to a City Council briefing yesterday. There's a clear consensus on the urgent need to improve response times and resource allocation for the emergency services, and to establish a financial ground that's as durable as it is flexible. Intricacies of this transition involve every aspect of the EMS operations, from staffing and budgeting, right down to where the calls are dispatched.
In preparation for this integration, the Fort Worth Firefighters Association Local 440 is set to represent the incoming EMS employees. The City has also established the Office of the Medical Director as an independent City department. Budget-wise, an ambitious $85 million annual budget is projected for the EMS service, while anticipated annual revenue stands at over $65 million. On the legal front, Fort Worth is also in the process of securing a state license for operations and has managed to strike agreements with fourteen member cities for EMS services.
Regarding human resources, the transition will see 617 full-time and 40 part-time MedStar employees being taken on by the City of Fort Worth. The city is also on an active hunt to recruit 75 emergency medical technicians (EMTs), and with more than 400 applicants having already aced an exam in March, it appears the workforce will be robust and ready. Additionally, dispatch services for Fire and EMS 911 are slated to be consolidated at the current MedStar headquarters on Alta Mere Drive by June, with a future phase planning to combine all Fire/EMS and Police 911 services at a renovated City-owned building downtown, as per the City's website.
As Fort Worth hurtles toward this significant service transition, the focus remains on finishing the Fiscal Year 2026 budget and allocations for member cities. With the final state EMS inspection on the horizon and ongoing recruitment efforts, the city looks set to hit the ground running come July 1, when these rebranded ambulances will, too, hit the streets.
