What You Need To Know

• National data shows there are only 129 standalone EMS agencies in 26 states, including Austin Travis County EMS


• Police budgets in the past six years, on average, police make up about 40% of general fund, fire is 20%, and EMS is around 9%


• The City of Austin recently announced its proposed 2021-2022 budget where EMS got a little more than $105 million
  
  
• High ambulance costs are considered a result of underfunded EMS departments

After incidents like the June mass shooting in Downtown Austin that left one person dead and 14 others injured, Spectrum News has been pouring through city budgets, researching EMS departments nationwide and evaluating federal regulations. 

As of June 2021, the Austin Police Department had more than 1,500 sworn officers. Austin-Travis County EMS had just over 550 sworn staff members. Commander Michael Benavides is one of them.

He says, like most medics, getting into this line of work happened by chance. 

“You don’t pick this career, this career picks you,” Benavides said. 

His 28-year career as a medic was determined by impatience. Benavides said the line to get into the police academy was too long, so he decided to register for EMT classes as it was much shorter.  

After years putting in long hours, in dangerous situations as a medic and then a commander, Benavides worked his way up to public information officer. He’s made it his mission to put EMS in the spotlight, which he says historically hasn’t happened. 

“EMS in general, kinda nationwide, we’ve kinda lost an identity,” he said.   

National data shows there are only 129 standalone EMS agencies in 26 states, including Austin Travis County EMS. Most cities have Fire-Rescue or nothing at all. 

“In many locations, in many states, they’re still using volunteer medical services,” Benavides said.  

Unlike police and fire, EMS doesn’t have national standards or a federal organization to represent or advocate for them, which help determine staffing and funding needs. Consequently, EMS does not receive federal funding, and in many cities, local government isn’t even required to fund EMS. 

While Austin is one of the few cities that invests in a standalone EMS department, it’s still last in line in the budget. Looking at police budgets in the past six years, on average, police make up about 40% of general fund, fire is 20%, and EMS is around 9%.  

"When we talk about historically being underfunded, we’re not specifically talking about Austin-Travis County EMS, we’re talking about the EMS industry as a whole,” he said.   

As 2020 rolled around, EMS were overwhelmed with COVID calls. The city made a controversial move to reallocate police funding, giving EMS a boost, allowing the department to start filling nearly 90 positions. 

“It took a pandemic for people to start appreciating EMS a bit more,” Benavides said. 

ATCEMS Interim Chief Jasper Brown spoke to Spectrum News 1 in a video call back in June. He said that funding is always an issue when it comes to government agencies, but Austin City Council has always listened, and this time, they had the opportunity to act. 

“The city council saw there was a need and we had always been asking for additional funding throughout the years,” Brown said. 

We spoke to numerous ATCEMS staff who said since the pandemic, they’ve responded to more violent crimes and shootings. 

Jacinto Andrey has been with the department for more than 22 years. He says this is the most violent crime he’s ever seen. Micah Morgan, who’s been with ATCEMS for about two and a half years, agreed. 

“Once people started getting out more, I feel like it’s now, in the last 12 months it’s been more of like, just ridiculous violence,” Morgan said. 

The FBI and the Texas Department of Public Safety have yet to release a 2020 annual crime report or 2021 data yet, but there have been preliminary findings of an increase in some types of violent crimes since 2020. 

Some blame this spike in crime on police budget cuts. There is no evidence to support this claim. In fact, many safety experts point to mental stresses of the pandemic as the cause of the violence.

During state shutdowns in 2020, the rate of domestic abuse skyrocketed because people had nowhere to go as most shelters were closed. Even so, Gov. Greg Abbott called Austin’s decision to “defund police” dangerous and in the 2021 legislative session, he signed a law that will fine cities for cutting police budgets. 

The City of Austin recently announced its proposed 2021-2022 budget, giving police more than $442 million, a roughly $130 million increase from last year. EMS got about $3 million more with a little more than $105 million. That’s still roughly 9% of the budget. 

City leaders and EMS advocates argue that’s not enough. 

Spectrum News 1 asked the Austin Police Department for an interview with the Interim Chief of Police Joseph Chacon. They said he wasn’t available and did not respond to our written questions. 

In a written statement, Austin Police Association President Ken Casaday says the department is dealing with a staffing crisis with 100 officers retiring in 2021 alone. He added: “We are confident the city can find money to properly staff our department and provide for the needs `of EMS and AFD.”

A follow-up was made with Chief Brown about the proposed budget. He says nothing is final yet. In discussions with the city council Tuesday, Chief Brown addressed the needs of the department.

He requested an additional 40 positions, six additional program leadership hires, a commander and clinical specialist for community relations and injury prevention, active attacker training and upgraded ballistic vests. 

So how does this funding debate affect you? Well, for starters, the cost of emergency services. 

High ambulance costs are considered a result of underfunded EMS departments. Secondly, a lack emergency services all together. Some reports have found cities where there aren’t enough ambulances to respond to the all the 911 calls. ATCEMS staff say they are luckier than most medics across the country who are barely scrapping by. 

“What’s more important is how they best serve their communities,” Benavides said. 

And that is what EMS will continue to do, with whatever budget they have to work with.