EMS, sheriff’s office busy moving into new facility

Jeff B. Flinn, Managing Editor
02/22/2025 05:00 AM

County officials expect a new EMS substation on Voss Parkway to be staffed next week, prior to a March 3 grand opening ceremony.

The $3.9 million facility will house a 24-hour EMS crew to respond to the continually developing area off State Highway 46.

“We actually have substantial completion and have our certificate of occupancy from the fire marshal,” said Richard Chapman, Kendall County Precinct 3 commissioner. “We are in the process of moving furniture in. EMS has its furniture in; the (Kendall County) sheriff’s office is moving in on Wednesday and I anticipate (them) moving an EMS crew there this week.”

The station sits on land leased from the Boerne Independent School District adjacent to Voss Middle School — a 50-year lease at $1 per year.

Chapman, former Emergency Management Director Jeff Fincke and current EMS Administrator Brian Webb started talking with the school district several years ago about the location.

BISD “had a piece of land on Voss Parkway cut off from the rest of the school. We decided that would be a good location ... and we worked out a 50-year lease, at $1 a year, for the land,” Chapman said.

When the county approached the school district about including offices for sheriff’s deputies to occupy, “it was a no-brainer for them, having medical and law enforcement right there, if ever needed,” he added.

The 6,580 square-foot building has two full bays for EMS ambulances, four bedrooms for EMS staff and office space for EMS, the sheriff’s office, Department of Public Service troopers and Texas game wardens. A new county brush truck may be housed there as well.

“We think it’s a good deal for the eastern part of the county. They don’t have to come into town to do the shift change, and there’s just a lot of advantages to having it there,” he said.

“Sixty percent of the calls we have are within the Boerne city limits,” Chapman said. “We now have two full-time crews in Boerne, which allow the crews in Comfort and Bergheim to be manned 24 hours, not back-filling into Boerne, so they don’t have to pull out” if situations in Boerne require backup.

For the past three years, EMS operated out of the Bergheim Volunteer Fire Department station. Chapman pointed out the new facility in no way affects fire response provided by Bergheim VFD.

“This has cost the Kendall Countytaxpayer very little money,” the commissioner said. “This was on a tax note that we included back in 2021-22. We let a tax note for approximately $12 million to expand the jail and repair the air conditioning on the jail, and (that included) $4 million to build a new EMS building.”

The building includes a training room that will be available for use by the public for meetings, gatherings, etc., for up to 30 people.

“It’s not a flashy building, but it blends well with Voss Middle School. We didn’t want it to completely contrast with the appearance of the neighboring school,” the commissioner added.