The Emergency Services District (ESD) is created for the provision of emergency services in response to any emergency in accordance with the authority granted to ESD’s under Chapter 775 of the Texas Health and Safety Code. The structure of the ESD is primarily a funding, policy making, and quality assurance body, not a response organization. It arranges for and oversees the delivery of emergency services as stated in its formation petition, utilizing the funds collected through taxation. Although the ESD is empowered to provide emergency services directly, it often will contract with outside entities such as fire departments to provide Fire Services to the District. Fire Services include fire protection and suppression of structural and wildland fires, First Responder Organization (FRO) responses to medical emergency situations to provide on-scene care of the ill and injured but not transport of patients, provides emergency rescue and fire prevention; it also provides hazardous materials response and control to the agencies current level of hazardous materials training, other emergency assistance to the public within the District based on current training and service levels, and other incident responses as dispatched by appropriate authorities having jurisdiction. Contracting The Llano County ESD No. 5 Board is in discussions with the Sunrise Beach VFD, and other agencies which might be used where appropriate and effective. These will be formal, contractual relationships, negotiated and executed between both parties. Compensation could take many forms, including budgetary (Salaries for Firefighter / EMT’s for example) and as-needed requests, per-call payments, area or percent of territory covered, etc. The contract will include protocols in case of an accident or resulting lawsuit, and procedures on how the organizations will handle liability issues. Paid firefighters, either full time or part-time, must be licensed by the Texas Commission on Fire Protection , and Fire Departments, including Combination / Hybrid Departments that utilize both full time and / or part-time paid personnel and volunteers must comply with Texas Commission on Fire Protection regulations. Fully volunteer fire departments do not fall under firefighting licensing requirements of the Texas Commission on Fire Protection. Certification standards for volunteer firefighters are usually established in the contract between the ESD and the Volunteer Fire Department. A commonly recognized standard for VFD personnel in Texas is the State Fire Fighters and Fire Marshals Association of Texas (SFFFMATX) standards or the Texas Forest Service (TFS) standard for Wildland Firefighters. Recognizing that the majority of call volume is providing on-scene care for the ill and injured; Fire Department First Responder Organizations (FROs) routinely respond to medical emergency situations in the District. They utilize personnel who are emergency medical services (EMS) certified by the Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS). These certified personnel must then be credentialed by their Medical Director to operate under his / her delegated practice authority to provide on-scene patient care to the ill and injured and do not transport patients . FROs must be affiliated with a licensed emergency medical services transport provider. In Llano County this is Hamilton EMS, which provides all EMS patient transport. FROs and their emergency medical services personnel are licensed and governed by Texas Administrative Code Title 25 Health Services, Part 1, Department of State Health Services, Chapter 157. Emergency Medical Care. A representative from the contracted agencies will be expected to provide progress reports at the monthly ESD Board meetings, Other ESD Functions As required, the ESD can establish a fire code within the District, if it doesn’t directly conflict with any existing Llano County code. Adoption is often in coordination with cities or unincorporated communities within the ESD. As part of this code, the ESD may require building inspections, promote educational programs, and levy penalties and fines for non-compliance. The ESD may appoint and employ a Fire Marshal to cover the entire district, since none currently exists. The Fire Marshal may inspect buildings, investigate fires, and enforce ESD orders and rules. He / She can also regulate fireworks, within the guidelines established by the Commissioner of Insurance and the State Fire Marshal . Currently, the City of Sunrise Beach Village has a highly experienced Fire Marshal and is adopting a revised Fire Code in 2023. The Community of Kingsland does not have a Fire Marshal or a Fire Code.