Plans are underway to break ground in May for a new Bulverde/Spring Branch EMS station.
The new location will be just off Hwy. 281 near the Heimer Lange Road cross over (approximately 1.5 miles north of the current site).
To fund the new facility, BSBEMS sold the current property on Hwy. 281 to DJL Ventures, a San Antonio-based enterprise planning a mixed-use development for the tract and adjacent property. Proceeds from the sale will go toward paying off the outstanding mortgage for the current station and acquiring the new site.
According to BSBEMS Director Mechelle Salmon, no tax monies from residents of Comal County Emergency Services District No. 1 were required for the transaction. BSBEMS is a nonprofit corporation contracted to provide ambulance service to CCESD 1.
District 1 voters recently approved a tax cap increase allowing BSBEMS to waive ambulance fee co-payment for district residents. Salmon said, “We’re very proud that not one cent of taxpayer money will be necessary to build a state-of –the-art station at our new location.”
Discussions are in progress with other local emergency service districts and service providers to explore the tax dollar-saving possibility of sharing the new facility. A second possibility for the new station is the utilization of the extra space to house fire trucks and firefighters.
When it comes to emergency services, Salmon said quick response is the number one concern. She commented, “No matter how big or how new the station, the only thing that matters is how quickly we can get help to someone who needs it.”
Overall service improvement is what Salmon expects to see as a result of the new location. She said, “We’re confident that our new location will be a springboard to a whole new round of improved services; it’s a really new beginning for us.”
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