Harris County Emergency Services District 29

Emergency Services Districts (ESD’s) are  political subdivisions of the State of Texas, which may support or  provide local emergency services, including emergency medical services,  emergency ambulance services, rural fire prevention and control  services, and other emergency services authorized by the Texas  Legislature. ESD's may impose a sales and use tax and/or property tax to  support or provide these services. In addition to other powers, an ESD  may also own real or personal property, enter into contracts, employs  officer, agents, and employees, accept donations, adopt and enforce a  fire code, and provide a fire marshal.

ESD tax revenues may be  used to hire full-time emergency personnel, contract with other entities  that have full-time fire and emergency medical departments, and/or  purchase new equipment and facilities. More importantly for some areas,  ESDs can contract with volunteer fire and emergency medical services  departments and provide a stable funding source for these entities as  well. ESD tax revenues mean more time to focus on training and the  provision of emergency services rather than fund-raising and other  activities for these volunteer fire and emergency medical services  organizations. Through these powers and stable funding, established ESDs  have considerably reduced fire and medical response times, provided  stable funding for volunteer and other fire and EMS departments, and  allowed local entities to provide enhanced services - thus saving lives,  property, and funds for local citizens.

The establishment of an  ESD may result in a better Insurance Services Office (ISO) rating within  the ESD service area, and lower insurance premiums for businesses and  homeowners. The result is fair, evenly-shared support from all the  citizens who get fire and emergency medical from their local emergency  services organization or the ESD itself.

ESD’s are created under  Texas Health and Safety Code, Chapter 775 as a means to better provide  public funding for urban, suburban and rural emergency services  organizations. District created under Chapter 776, Texas Health &  Safety Code are generally designated for counties with populations of  less than 125,000. However, the trend is to create all future ESD’s  under Chapter 775 since this chapter of the Texas Health and Safety Code  provides greater flexibility and authority to an ESD and these ESDs may  be created in any county in Texas, regardless of population.

ESD’s  are the only practical way to adequately support emergency services in  many Texas municipalities as well as suburban and rural areas of the  state.