Kendall County officials Monday officially opened the newest EMS substation east of town, hailing the spirit of cooperation between the county and the Boerne ISD that allowed the building to happen.
Kendall County Precinct 3 Commissioner Richard Chapman welcomed a crowd of about 75 to the Boerne Chamber of Commerce ribbon-cutting event Monday at the new station, located across the street from Voss Middle School less than two miles from the Bergheim Volunteer Fire Department building.
“We've been working on this for almost four years,” Chapman told the crowd gathered at the Voss Parkway location. “We actually started in 2021, and they started living here and operating out of here last week, so we’re officially in it and all the people are excited. They love it here.”
The facility will house two of Kendall County’s ambulances and has living quarters to accommodate four EMTs, representing two full rescue teams. The building includes a kitchen facility, a training room, a fitness area, and several rooms for the Kendall County Sheriff’s Office, as well as space for Department of Public Safety and Texas Game Wardens to office when needed.
Kendall County Sheriff Al Auxier said the building helps his office serve an area of the county that has grown, and continues to grow, at a sprinter’s pace.
“If you live around here ... you know what we’re experiencing, especially on this end of the county,” Auxier said. “Strategically, logistically, this is a tremendous thing for this area for our future.”
Auxier heralded the county’s leadership that knew this was needed, reaching out to make a deal with the school district — a lease for 50 years, at $1 per year.
When the county began looking for land on which to eventually build the $3.9 million building, school property land adjacent to the current middle school came into focus.
“When this property was mentioned,” Chapman said, “I called up (Boerne ISD trustee) Rich Sena and said, ‘What do you think about that property, you think the school district would lease it to us?’
“He said, ‘You want to put a sheriff’s substation and an EMS building 200 yards from the school?’” Chapman said. “He didn’t have to think about that for too long and said he would take it before the school board.”
All current Boerne ISD board trustees were on hand, as was Superintendent Dr. Kristin Craft.
“When I think about collaboration between partners, the school district, the county, the city, our chamber, our board — this is phenomenal visionary work,” said Craft, who thanked her predecessor, former Superintendent Dr. Thomas Price “for being at the helm and helping to shepherd this through.”
“I can’t thank you enough. I’m thinking about our (middle school) students 200 feet away,” Craft said, calling it “just another tiny example of what make Boerne so special.”
Auxier said countywide, the county needs to continue to get out front of the explosive growth sweeping the county.
“That (growth) is going to continue. We need to plan as best we can, and manage it as best we can,” Auxier said. “We really need to look ahead and plan strategically for what the future brings — try to identify the challenges and how we are best going to meet those challenges.”
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