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Council hears pros and cons of keeping a fourth ambulance in Olean fleet
Summary
Staff presented options after delivery of a new ambulance: trade the oldest vehicle as usual or retain the oldest unit as a fourth ambulance for resiliency. Councilors weighed resale value, maintenance costs and backup capacity but took no final vote.
Fire/EMS staff told the committee the city received a new ambulance in April and historically has traded the oldest unit; the apparent options are to sell the old unit now or retain it as a fourth vehicle to increase service resiliency. Staff said average new-ambulance cost was about $230,000 and that keeping the current ambulance would leave roughly $90,000 in trade-in value if the vehicle were not sold.
Council members discussed whether current market conditions (including higher vehicle prices because of tariffs) might produce higher resale proceeds now than in the future, and whether retaining the older ambulance would aid mutual aid arrangements or provide redundancy when another vehicle is out of service. Staff noted all current ambulances are advanced life-support (ALS) equipped, and adding another ALS vehicle could improve depth and resiliency.
Members expressed concerns about insurance, storage and maintenance expenses if the city keeps the older unit long-term, and about whether the retained vehicle would be used only as emergency backup, community events or both. No formal motion or vote was recorded; members were generally open to keeping the unit if staff can demonstrate maintenance feasibility and budget implications.
