Sedgwick County EMS asks commission to approve one demo ambulance purchase to speed delivery

Brian Nicholas, EMS deputy chief, told the Sedgwick County Commission staff meeting that EMS is requesting commission authorization to add one ambulance to the county fleet and to use funds already held in the EMS equipment reserve to pay for the vehicle.

“If we can create a purchase order by March 1, we have the opportunity to shave about 1 year off of the normal 2 year process,” Nicholas said, describing a vendor program that would supply an ambulance built to the county’s specifications that had been used briefly as a demo at trade shows. Nicholas said the demo route reduces lead time and that the county’s remount program also reduces cost; he said remounting saves about $117,000 per ambulance versus buying entirely new equipment.

The request is prompted by…