The Friendswood City Council on Sept. 8 approved a financing contract with Government Capital Corporation to fund technology and equipment purchases, including a generator for the public safety building, emergency equipment and an ambulance chassis and refit. The financing spreads the cost over five years, staff said.
City staff noted that the new ambulance chassis and refit was budgeted at approximately $500,000. A council member questioned whether the city should consider lower-cost ambulatory vans (about $180,000 each, as cited in discussion) for some responses because they require fewer full-time employees to staff, allowing potential coverage at lower cost. Staff and the fire/EMS leadership explained that supervisor vehicles and current response protocols provide an initial triage option but that ambulances must be able to support critical-care needs when crews arrive.
Council discussed the tradeoffs: the larger chassis provide full medical capability but cost substantially more and typically require three personnel; ambulatory vans cost less and are generally staffed with two responders but do not offer the same on-scene treatment capacity. A motion to approve the financing passed 6-0.
Council asked staff to prepare additional data on call types, frequency and staffing implications to inform future vehicle-purchasing decisions and suggested further discussion in a workshop or retreat.