ATCEMS crew will be at the Austin airport as part of a pilot program

Austin, Texas – Austin-Travis County Ambulance Paramedics are now part of Austin Bergstrom International Airport (AUS).

According to the head of the ATCEMS department Stephen White, as of Wednesday, March 1, every day from 9:00 to 21:00 a brigade will be on site.

“It depends a lot on time. And a lot of it depends on how long it takes to get to the patient at the boarding gate in the security area of ​​the airport,” said the head of the department, White.

So far, the nearest paramedics have been at the fire station on the north side of HWY 71. The response time to the main terminal can be 16 minutes.

The fire department, located next to the runway at the airport, is dedicated to in-flight emergencies. The pilot program does not allow firefighters to be on the runway as paramedics are in the terminal.

“Right. We also keep firefighters and paramedics who are out there on the streets. There, on the streets, are available to call. Not here,” said White, the head of the department.

There is another important logistical point. It was found that 65% of ambulance calls to the airport ended with the treatment and discharge of patients on the spot. Each shipment included an ambulance taking him away from nearby areas. It caused a coverage dilemma, and union president Celina Xie said paramedics are glad it’s over.

“And it’s very frustrating for them to have to go to the airport to wait an hour, to wait to be escorted. other ambulances from other parts of the city have to come and help, and they just want to take care of, you know, the neighborhoods and the community they’re in. And they really think we need a better resource that makes more sense for an airport there,” Xie said.

This is not yet a permanent job. This is part of an annual pilot program approved by the City Council.

“So, with this information, we can make a rationale for why it needs to be integrated into regular Department of Aviation operations,” said District 2 Council member Vanessa Fuentes.

Fuentes sponsored the pilot program’s ordinance. She told FOX 7 that the year-long study is expected to cost $460,000.

“So it will be paid for by the airlines. I think it’s really important for the people of Austin to know that the fees associated with the presence of paramedics on site do get access to our airlines during the fee schedule,” Fuentes said.

Paramedics will work at a temporary location at the airport until a new airstrip can be established near the central TSA checkpoint. Paramedics assigned to the airport must be cleared by the TSA.

“And I think it will pay off very quickly. South by Southwest will open in a few days. So this place will be very, very busy. I think that in a very short period of time we will be able to prove the value of having paramedics on site at the airport. And we will be able to look at the response time in neighboring communities to see if we have made any improvements in them,” said the head of the department White. .

When the pilot program ends in March 2024, the city will likely need to re-authorize to continue.