Johnson County commissioners authorized a contract May 8 to purchase 10 ambulances and related patient-conveyance equipment for Johnson County MedAct at a total not to exceed $2,786,214, funded from the MedAct equipment reserve. The board’s vote was unanimous.

The contract obligates the county to buy ambulances from Emergency Services Supply (doing business as Osage Ambulances) under the BuyBoard cooperative contract 745-24, and patient-conveyance equipment from Stryker Medical under a cooperative contract. Commissioner Hanslick moved the authorization and Commissioner Allen Brand seconded; the clerk recorded seven votes in favor.

Scott Sayer, representing Johnson County MedAct, told commissioners the purchase responds to steadily rising call volume and aging equipment. Sayer said MedAct’s call volume rose about 67% since 2010 and averaged a 5.4% annual increase from 2020–2025. He told the board ambulances have increased about 53% in price since 2020 and that replacement cycles are increasingly driven by maintenance costs; he noted ambulances accrue engine wear from prolonged idling, estimating roughly 30 miles of engine use per hour of idling. MedAct staff said they will pilot battery-powered idle-reduction systems later this year to try to reduce wear and fuel use.

Commissioners framed the purchase in the context of county-wide public-safety needs and the earlier discussion on the public-safety sales tax renewal. Public works and emergency-service leaders said the new vehicles are intended both to replace aging ambulances and to provide additional capacity as the county adds daytime "impact" units and 24-hour geographically based units in areas with population growth such as Gardner, DeSoto and Edgerton.

The board’s motion authorized the contract and appropriation from MedAct equipment reserves for an amount not to exceed $2,786,214, covering ambulance chassis, build-outs and patient-conveyance equipment. The clerk recorded the roll-call vote as: Commissioner Fast — yes; Commissioner Myers — yes; Commissioner Brewer — yes; Commissioner Hanslick — yes; Commissioner Ashcraft — yes; Commissioner Allen Brand — yes; Chairman Mike Kelly — yes. County staff said the purchases will be integrated into MedAct’s multi-year fleet and facility planning and noted additional stations and units may be needed as call demand grows.