History

The Ellis County Emergency Services District #2 was originally created as the Ellis County Rural Fire Prevention District #3 at an election held on January 19, 1985.

The Ellis County Commissioner’s Court received a petition from voters in the District in November of 1984 requesting the Court call an election to create the District. The Court determined the District “would benefit the land included therein, and will be conclusive to the public’s safety, welfare, and convenience and aid in the conservation of the real property or natural resources within said district”

On March 11, 1985 the original five fire commissioners were appointed by the Ellis County Commissioner’s Court.

The original boundaries set by the Commissioner’s Court included “all land lying within the boundaries within the most recently established boundaries of the Midlothian Independent School District save and except that land within the corporate city limits of the City of Midlothian and the City of Ovilla.

Since 1985, the Cities of Midlothian, Ovilla, Mansfield, Cedar Hill, Grand Prairie, Waxahachie, and Venus have annexed land that was originally in the District. Land annexed by a city that provides Fire and EMS service is no longer in the District.

In October of 2000, the District fire commissioners asked the voters of the District to convert the District to an Emergency Services District. Voters approved the creation of ESD #2 by a vote of 9 to 1. This change allowed the ad valorem tax rate cap to increase from 3 cents per $100 valuation to 10 cents per $100 valuation.

With a commitment by the Commissioners to limit the tax rate to five (5) cents for the first two tax years, District residents received increased full time paramedic/firefighters to staff an additional ambulance, new tanker/engine for fires in rural areas of the district, and decreased insurance rates in 2005 in a large part of the district.

Since 1985, the District has contracted for Fire and EMS service with the Midlothian & Ovilla Fire Departments. The ESD provides funding to these departments for their responses to Fires and EMS incidents in ESD #2. These departments are able to respond to incidents in the 115 square mile area of the District from four (4) fire stations that are staffed with 46 fulltime, 13 part time, and 20 volunteer firefighter/EMT-P/B & First Responders. These firefighter/EMT-P/B & First Responders staff 3 ambulances and 17 pieces of fire equipment.