Metro Aviation turned 40 in 2022 and is continuing the celebration with its 40th operations customer in the birthplace of Texas. Metro will operate one EC145 for Washington County EMS and eventually provide fire suppression operations, a first for the 40-year operator.

Washington-on-the-Brazos, also called Washington, originated in 1821 as a ferry crossing during the Texas Revolution. In 1836, the town hosted a convention where the Texas Declaration of Independence was issued, and a constitution was adopted. Nearly 150 years later, Washington County EMS (WCEMS) began.

“I’m very excited about this new partnership with the Metro Family,” said Program Director Kevin Deramus. “The Birthplace of Texas, or Washington County, is a rural community in Texas that takes great pride in caring for our citizens and visitors. We have found that this, too, is Metro Aviation’s culture from top to bottom, and we could not be happier to partner with them.”

The WCEMS program covers approximately 700 square miles of Texas, including the Brazo River and Lake Somerville. Separate from the police and fire departments, this third service business model provides an EMS system dedicated solely to pre-hospital care of the sick and injured with multiple assets including the helicopter. WCEMS handles more than 7,000 calls annually and provides emergency and non-emergency transfers, critical care services, and rescue paramedic services to the community.

“We are excited to begin operations in Washington County,” said Metro COO Kenny Morrow. “Our organizations share similar philosophies and values. We are very thankful for Judge John Durrenberger and Kevin Deramus for trusting us to serve the citizens of Washington County.”