Garland, TX – The Fire and EMS Stakeholder Committee held its third meeting on November 12, 2025, where critical discussions about the future of emergency medical services in the city took center stage. Notably, the meeting’s agenda was altered by the termination of the EMS Consultant and the absence of the previous City Manager, who had been involved in the months-long discussions. The committee did not provide a public explanation for this decision regarding the consultant.
The City’s [former] Chief Financial Officer, who most recently was promoted to Assistant City Manager, Matt Watson, presented the current financial state of Fire and EMS. Watson outlined several primary outcomes under consideration regarding a requested schedule change and the city’s current financial constraints. The suggestions included:
- Keeping ambulance transport in-house, adjusting to the desired change, and finding the funds to make this possible.
- Hiring a private company to service ambulance transport. The cost of entering this public-private partnership will likely still come at a price to the City, and that cost in subsidies to a private provider is still being determined. The Garland Gazette previously reported on the concerns surrounding this model after the first committee meeting.
Watson presented the tight financial constraints that the City of Garland is currently facing, but he opened with more reassurance that the committee has seen thus far that the City is committed to considering creative solutions. The Gazette has put in a request for the presentation and will make it available once it has been received.
In related discussions, Councilmember Ed Moore addressed concerns during the Garland City Council Work Session on December 1, 2025. He urged city staff to clarify for the community that the city might shift to privatizing emergency medical services (EMS). Moore stated, “There’s a thought out there that we are attempting to bring about an alternative to our EMS services.”
Watson clarified, “We’ve really been looking at moving to this 24/72 schedule,” and continued, “That’s going to cost $13 to $16 million and add 87 positions, which in the current financial environment is a difficult thing to do.” He went on to mention, “Ambulance transport, doing a private-public partnership with that.”
For more about the impact privatized ambulance services could have on the community, readers can refer to our previous coverage here: Discussions Swirl as the City of Garland Considers Privatizing Emergency Medical Services.
For those interested in the proceedings, the first half of the meeting can be accessed online here. Note, as of 12/7/25, the City has uploaded the first hour of the meeting; the second half is currently not available. However, the Garland Gazette livestreamed the meeting on our Facebook page, which can be viewed here until December 12, 2025.
As developments unfold regarding the Fire and EMS services, community members are encouraged to engage in discussions and share their views on the future of these essential services.
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