South Padre Island’s Emergency Medical System is now under a new operation.

“As of midnight tonight the city of South Padre Island, specifically the fire department, will be assuming EMS operations,” says SPI Fire Chief Burney Baskett.

According to Baskett, the city acquired its first ambulance that is ready to provide emergency medical services to all residents and visitors.

“The first unit we bought was a brand new unit that cost about one hundred and twenty five thousand dollar,” says Baskett. “The second unit we are getting is from Port Isabel and it is a used unit which will allow us to stagger the purchases of units through the years.”

Baskett says adding a second ambulance has become increasingly important in recent years.

“The call volume has gotten to the point in the last two years that we simply need two ambulances out here,” Baskett adds.

Meeting the emergency demands of Island residents is just one of the positives an extra ambulance brings to the community.

“The new EMS Unit that you see behind me has to have two people operating it at all times,” says Baskett. “And because it operates on a 24-hour basis that means that six jobs will be created as a result.”

The chief expects the new system to be even more efficient than before.

“The big advantage that we are going to see is that we are putting twice as many ambulances out here as we have had before,” says Baskett.