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Chase County EMS discusses new ambulance, options for older unit and equipment upkeep
Summary
County EMS staff reported a new ambulance and heart monitors are in service, outlined options for an older ambulance including auction or keeping it as an unlicensed reserve, and asked commissioners to revisit a disposal decision in spring.
Chase County EMS staff told the Chase County Commissioners on Feb. 10 that a new ambulance and new cardiac monitors have entered service and outlined options for what to do with an older vehicle.
The county’s new heart monitors, purchased with support from the Patterson Family Grama Foundation, “went into service after we had training on January 28,” an EMS staff member said. The same presenter said the new ambulance arrived on Jan. 31 and “officially went into service on February,” and staff have been working through setup and calls since its delivery.
Why it matters: The county’s ambulance fleet availability affects emergency response capacity across Chase County. Commissioners and staff discussed short-term and medium-term options for the retired vehicle so the county can maintain coverage while avoiding unnecessary expense.
EMS staff described three options for the older ambulance: (1) sell it at auction (mentioned platform Purple Wave) and place proceeds into the equipment fund; (2) keep it temporarily as an insured, licensed spare; or (3) retain it unlicensed as a reserve that could be made service-ready and licensed if needed. On insurance, staff noted an annual insurance estimate of $1,285 to keep the vehicle tagged through the treasurer’s office.
The presenter said the older ambulance’s mileage was reported as approximately 73,073 miles when taken out of service; the older 2013 unit was reported at 62,026 miles. Staff said the new unit will be under warranty for five years or 60,000 miles and described potential rotation strategies once kinks are worked out.
Commissioners and staff agreed to keep the older ambulance on hand for a trial period and revisit disposal or sale in May or June. An EMS staff member recommended, “I'd recommend to keep it for, you know, 2, 3 months at least and then revisit it,” and another commissioner suggested formally revisiting during the budget discussion in June.
Staff noted operational details if the county needed to return the reserve vehicle to service: because supplies and some equipment had been removed, the county would not currently license that unit but staff said they could get it licensed and insured within about 24 hours if required by an emergency.
Other operational notes included weekly startup and minimal maintenance while the vehicle is stored; county shop staff were identified as maintaining the vehicle between uses. Commissioners also heard that comparable used ambulances on Purple Wave had sold in the roughly $10,000–$18,000 range, depending on condition.
Ending: Commissioners directed staff to monitor operations of the new ambulance and return with a recommendation by late spring. No formal vote was recorded on disposal at the Feb. 10 meeting.
