Plano Approves $140 Million Public Safety Campus, Advances EMS Blood Transfusion Program

By R.J. Morales | TX3DNews

Two public safety initiatives dominated the Plano City Council meeting Monday night, with council members unanimously approving a $140 million public safety campus and clearing the way for Plano paramedics to begin carrying whole blood for emergency transfusions in the field.

While one vote focused on future facilities and the other on emergency medical treatment, city officials said both are intended to improve emergency response capabilities across the city.

New Public Safety Campus Takes Next Step

Council approved the selection of Swinerton Builders as construction manager-at-risk for Plano’s planned Public Safety Campus, a project that will combine a new police headquarters and Fire Station 14 near Alma Drive and Park Boulevard.

Approved by voters as part of the city’s bond program, the project carries a maximum budget of $140 million.

“The big thing is that everybody, both the architects and the constructors, are working together to get the best project for the best price,” Special Projects Director Peter Braster told council.

Braster stressed that Monday’s vote approved a project budget, not a final construction cost.

“What you’re approving tonight at the $140 million is a maximum budget, not a guaranteed maximum price,” he said.

Once design work is completed, the project will return to council for approval of a guaranteed maximum construction price before work begins.

The campus is expected to serve as a centralized hub for police and fire operations while replacing aging facilities currently used by both departments.

Following the vote, City Manager Mark Israelson praised Peter Braster and Anmar Hammel for what he described as a “complete revamp” of the city’s construction process, noting it had already received “rave reviews” from police and fire personnel.

Plano Preparing to Carry Whole Blood in the Field

Council also unanimously approved an ordinance allowing Plano Fire-Rescue to bill for whole blood transfusions administered by paramedics, clearing the way for the city to launch a new emergency medical program later this summer.

Fire Chief Chris Biggerstaff said the ordinance was necessary because the city’s current ambulance fee structure does not include the cost of whole blood.

“This program is going to save lives,” Dr. Mark Gamber, Plano’s EMS medical director, told council.

Trauma remains the leading cause of death for people between the ages of 1 and 44, and Gamber said rapid treatment can dramatically affect survival rates.

“For every minute that goes by in somebody who’s dying of hemorrhage, they have a 15% increased risk of dying,” he said.

The program will allow paramedics to begin transfusions before a patient reaches a hospital.

“Who is the tip of the spear? Who can get to the patient the fastest to do a transfusion? That’s us,” Gamber said.

Whole blood will be carried on Squad 1, a specialized unit staffed by some of Plano’s highest-trained paramedics and based at Fire Station 4. Officials said the program will primarily be used for severe trauma cases but may also benefit patients experiencing complications from pregnancy, childbirth, gastrointestinal bleeding, and other medical emergencies involving significant blood loss.

Plano expects to use approximately one transfusion per week and has partnered with Carter BloodCare and Medical City Plano to maintain the blood supply while minimizing waste.

“We know the need is here. We know that the patients are here for us to do it,” Assistant EMS Chief Brian Stratton said.

City officials said Plano will be among a relatively small number of departments capable of both identifying internal bleeding with ultrasound technology and administering whole blood before a patient reaches a hospital.

Two Different Approaches to Public Safety

Although unrelated, both votes focused on how Plano prepares for emergencies.

One project centers on the facilities and infrastructure used by first responders. The other focuses on what happens during the critical minutes after someone suffers a life-threatening injury.

The Public Safety Campus remains several years from completion, but city officials expect the whole blood program to begin this summer.

“That’s definitely bringing hospital-level care directly to the patient,” Stratton said.

Both measures passed unanimously on 8-0 votes.