by Kyle Fire Chief Kyle Taylor
Emergency services districts (ESDs) provide vital first response services to more than 8 million Texans. Around 300 of these local special district governments serve communities across the state with fire protection and emergency medical services – including the Hays County ESD 5, covering approximately 70,000 residents living within the boundaries of ESD 5. Yet, many emergency services districts, like Hays County ESD 5, have so far been unable to access the federal Coronavirus Relief Fund, which was intended to assist local governments in their response to the extraordinary COVID-19 crisis. The consequences of ignoring this problem will negatively impact communities’ lifeline services.
Much like counties, school districts and municipalities, Hays County ESD No. 5 has been financially impacted by COVID-19. The district has currently sustained unbudgeted financial impacts approaching $100,000, including station sanitation supplies, personal protective equipment, and overtime costs. It is extremely difficult to forecast how the district will be impacted moving forward. The need for personal protective equipment will continue and costs will continue to rise for those needed supplies. One firefighter testing positive for COVID-19 has multiple repercussions across his shift. Multiple firefighters will be quarantined for up to 14 days resulting in major overtime expenditures to cover those shifts. Emergency services districts across the state are facing the same financial impacts as our district. After we were all overlooked during the CARES Act funding and with an uncertain future, it is almost impossible to plan how this pandemic will impact us in the next fiscal year with no financial relief from the state or federal government.
