Delhi Township trustees on July 30 approved a resolution directing the township administrator to issue a purchase order for a 2027 Horton ambulance from Atlantic Emergency Solutions Inc., citing enhanced safety features for personnel and patients and long manufacturing lead times.

Fire Chief Campbell told the board that the ambulance is a planned replacement for a unit whose patient box will approach 20 years old by delivery; the department selected the Horton model after a committee reviewed multiple manufacturers and visited nearby departments. Chief Campbell said the ambulance includes features new to the township fleet: a four‑point restraint system that allows paramedics to be restrained and still attend to patients, roll‑cage aluminum framing and anti‑intrusion panels, an integrated child restraint, expanded storage and roughly eight additional cubic feet of compartmentation compared with current units.

Chief Campbell discussed lead time: the manufacturer gave an estimated delivery window of January–July 2028, so the township must place the order now to secure a spot in the production queue. He presented an estimated purchase price of approximately $362,000 for the unit, noting the buy was included in the township’s five‑year replacement plan and that ordering now responds to current supply‑chain realities.

Trustees passed Resolution 2025-129, authorizing the purchase, declaring an emergency and dispensing with a second reading. The motion to dispense with a second reading and the resolution adoption were approved by roll call; the minutes record yes votes from Trustee John Davis, Trustee Michael Sturtz and Trustee Sarah Seavey.

Why it matters: Chief Campbell said the new configuration improves patient and crew safety and ergonomics — the back of the new ambulance allows providers to work upright with grab rails and a cot‑lift system, reducing the likelihood of occupational injury. The purchase is funded and scheduled as part of long‑range equipment replacement planning, the chief said.

Board members and staff described the procurement as a planned capital replacement, not an unbudgeted emergency, but noted that the lead time created urgency to place the order now. The resolution directs staff to proceed with the purchase under state purchasing program pricing through Atlantic Emergency Solutions Inc.

Next steps: the township will issue a purchase order and monitor production; earliest delivery given by the vendor is January 2028 and the latest window provided is July 2028.