The Randolph County Board of Commissioners approved purchases intended to replace and maintain the county’s emergency fleet: four Type 1 Crestline ambulances and three Chevrolet 4x4 Tahoes.

Donovan (county staff) told commissioners the county canceled a previous order because the vendor was unresponsive and now proposes buying four ambulances from Spartan Fire and Emergency Apparatus in South Carolina for $1,360,140, or $340,035 per vehicle, with a budget carryforward of $680,070 for two previously funded units. "The request is for $1,360,140 That's 340,000 each," Donovan said.

The board also approved purchasing three Chevrolet 4x4 Tahoes from Capital Chevrolet under the North Carolina state contract for $159,021 total (about $53,007 each). Commissioners discussed repurposing several decommissioned ambulances to other county uses (soil and water, mobile library, zoo transport and law-enforcement partners) and estimated resale/auction values for used units.

Why it matters: Donovan said the county runs 11 ambulances each day and that vehicles routinely accumulate roughly 250 miles per truck per shift when long transports to regional hospitals occur. The ambulance purchase is intended to ensure adequate vehicles for staffing and response.

Action: A motion to approve the ambulance purchase and associated budget carryforward and to authorize the county manager to sign documents was made, seconded and approved by the board. A separate motion to purchase the three Tahoes under state contract also passed.

Ending: Commissioners asked fleet staff to continue repurposing viable older vehicles for county departments; staff noted used ambulances typically bring modest auction returns.