EVADALE, Texas — A city in Jasper County is entering the new year without a designated ambulance service.
In Evadale, when there's an emergency the nearest ambulance could be miles and miles away.
The Evadale Volunteer Fire Department and the people who run Jasper County Emergency Service District 2 say cost is the issue.
Jasper County ESD 2 says Allegiance Mobile Health wants nearly half a million dollars to set aside a designated ambulance.
They'd love to sign a contract but their budget just doesn't have enough money.
"It gets really stressful especially when you're trying to explain to a mother why it's taking 45 minutes to get an ambulance there to transport her child," said Evadale Fire Captain Larry Fountain.
Evadale is forced to rely on ambulances from other areas if they're even available, according to Fountain.
"Right now it would be coming out of Jasper or out of Vidor. We're at the mercy of the ambulance service," Fountain said.
Evadale and Allegiance Mobile Health wish they could reach a deal for a designated ambulance service.
"It's a real financial burden. We can't carry that burden and it's a burden for folks in the county" said Jasper County ESD 2 Treasurer Jim Love.
For $450,000, ESD 2 could share a single ambulance with Buna located in District 1. For an additional $300,000, Evadale could have its own ambulance.
Love says both options are too expensive.
"Now that's four times our annual budget. So that does not compute," Love said.
Even turning to the voters for additional funds wouldn't be enough, according to Love.
"We are anticipating asking voters to approve a sales tax in May, would really give us maybe $80,000 to $90,000 more a year," said Love.
Daniel Gillespie with Allegiance understands their frustration, but he says a high-tech ambulance and its specialize crew come at a hefty cost.
"It has to have at least six staff members on it, two each day. So you multiply those salaries times six and then you add that in with a $300,000 ambulance... the ambulance service operation is becoming more and more expensive," Gillespie said.
At the fire station first responders are left to do the best they can with what they have.
"Hopefully we can come to some type of agreement or the county can figure something out," said Fountain.
Allegiance Mobile Health says they haven't had a formal meeting to negotiate a contract. For now they will continue effectively serving Evadale with ambulances that come from outside the area.