Tiverton approves purchase of demo ambulance and authorizes $25,000 repair for Rescue 2

Tiverton — The Tiverton Town Council voted June 23 to buy a demo Type 1 ambulance not to exceed $375,000 from the town’s capital reserve and to authorize up to $25,000 from council contingency to repair Rescue 2, a 2019 ambulance that suffered a major fuel-system failure.

Chief Bailey told the council the department needed money to both repair the out-of-service vehicle and secure an available demo ambulance because lead times for new ambulance builds are two to three years. "We're looking for monies to repair the 2018 ambulance that suffered a significant problem with the motor with the fuel injection system," Chief Bailey said.

Deputy Chief, who led the technical explanations, said repairing the fuel system could return the 2019 vehicle to service in about two weeks. "So option is you can spend — we can spend up to $25,000 to repair the fuel system on that truck, which could have it back in about 2 weeks," he said, and added the truck on order originally placed in April 2023 is not due until July 2026. The department identified a demo Medex Ford F-450 due this fall that it says could enter service by the end of the year; the listed price in council documents and discussion was $374,000–$375,000.

Councilors and staff discussed fleet rotation: if the demo truck is purchased and the repair completed, town staff said the newly acquired demo would become Rescue 2; the vehicle already on long lead time order would then become a subsequent unit in the rotation, and the repaired 2019 would likely move to reserve status. The deputy chief described the 2019 vehicle’s mileage in discussion: "The truck does have a 138,000 miles on it, 11,000," a remark made in the meeting when describing the vehicle's condition.

Council debate focused on funding source and broader capital planning. Town counsel and the treasurer advised that the $25,000 repair is technically a repair (not a capital purchase) and could be funded through a transfer from council contingency; the ambulance purchase would come from the capital reserve (fund 460). Several councilors said they preferred not to use casino/gaming revenue for the purchase and supported using the capital reserve. Councilor Paul moved the repair authorization and later moved the purchase; both motions passed on voice votes with no recorded opposition.

Why it matters: ambulance manufacturers’ two-to-three-year lead times — a nationwide issue cited at the meeting — make available demo vehicles one of the only practical short-term options for towns that need frontline capacity. Councilors repeatedly framed the decisions as measures to avoid a shortfall in frontline ambulances and to maintain mutual-aid capacity with neighboring towns.

Votes at a glance

- Repair Rescue 2 (2019) fuel system: authorize transfer from council contingency up to $25,000 — approved (unanimous roll-call/voice vote). - Purchase DemoMedex Ford F-450 Type 1 ambulance: authorize purchase not to exceed $375,000 from capital reserve (fund 460) — approved (unanimous voice vote). - Additional votes at the meeting (see list below) were also approved by the council.

Council direction and next steps

Council members instructed staff to complete the transfer for the repairs so the vehicle could return to service quickly and to proceed with the capital-reserve purchase paperwork for the demo ambulance. The treasurer and solicitor were asked to confirm fund-account numbers and process any necessary transfers or resolutions.

Other items decided at the meeting

The council approved several additional, largely noncontroversial items: acceptance of two resignations from the semi‑quincentennial committee; appointment of John Hardman to the budget committee (term ending 11/02/2026); authorization for the Open Space Commission to apply for local open-space grant funding for the Hick Farm project (with council consent to keep the property open in perpetuity); approval to replace the town‑hall flagpole not to exceed $7,000 (capital fund 640); and amendment of Resolution 2023-018 to extend the Public Safety Complex Committee report due date to 12/31/2026. Those actions were taken by voice vote with no recorded opposition.

Quotations here and in council discussion reflect comments made during the June 23 meeting.

Ending: The department and council said the next steps are administrative — completing fund transfers and purchase paperwork — with the repaired ambulance expected back in service in roughly two weeks and the demo ambulance expected to be available by the end of the year if the purchase proceeds.