El Paso ESD No. 2 warns commissioners of hydrant gaps, volunteer shortfalls and rising equipment costs

Chief Esparsa, speaking for El Paso County Emergency Services District No. 2, told the County Commissioner's Court on May 21 that the district now covers about 117,000 residents across roughly 658 square miles and is struggling with volunteer retention, an aging apparatus fleet and water-access limitations that hamper firefighting. The district's strategic plan calls for more career firefighters, additional stations in Montana Vista and Clint, and targeted investments in hydrant inspection and infrastructure.

The chief described a continuing trend: volunteer numbers fluctuate and full 24-hour career staffing is expensive but would improve reliability and reduce the pressure on volunteers. He said pump and vehicle replacement costs have more than doubled in recent years and that older trucks require more frequent replacement and maintenance. On hydrants, he said many are nonoperational or located on water systems not controlled by the county; when first responders arrive they sometimes find no usable hydrant and must truck water in, a slow shuttle process that worsened outcomes in a Montana Vista house fire he described.

Commissioners pressed the chief about authority and remedies. He said developers and battery-storage facilities can be required to provide on-site water or engineered tanks and must obtain permits that allow the fire district to review water-supply plans; El Paso Electric-related proposals have also begun preliminary review. County staff said they will include hydrant reliability in the court's June 8 legislative agenda and that the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality has primary jurisdiction over many small water systems.

The court thanked ESD No. 2 for its training and hydrant-mapping initiatives; the chief said the district now physically inspects and flags hydrants and is actively plotting them in a system so first responders know whether a hydrant is functional. The district asked for more coordinated planning with the county on major developments to ensure water infrastructure keeps pace with growth that increases demands on firefighting capabilities.