Council debates buying available ambulance now or waiting on ordered vehicle; ARPA funds and study cited

Pulaski County Council spent the bulk of its Nov. 10 meeting debating how to address an aging ambulance fleet and whether to cancel an ambulance that is on a long manufacturer order and buy an available demo vehicle now.

EMS leadership said older diesel ambulances are increasingly unreliable and difficult to maintain, with high engine hours and mileage. The EMS presenter quoted a demo ambulance price of $219,000, which, when outfitted with a power load and two lifts, totaled about $264,203. The council learned an ARPA-funded ambulance already allocated may not be manufactured for years; the EMS presenter said the on-order unit could take up to three years to arrive if canceled and reordered.

Councilmember 3 moved to give EMS two options: attempt to cancel the unit on order and, if cancelation is possible, purchase the available ambulance now using the ARPA funds already set aside; if cancelation is not possible, the council would hold a further discussion after receiving the pending hospital/operations study. The motion was seconded and the transcript shows the council voted to advertise the purchase and proceed with the options described.

Speakers urged caution and asked that contracts and cancellations be reviewed by counsel; several members supported immediate replacement if the on-order vehicle can be canceled, arguing the fleet’s reliability risks patient care. EMS leadership reported total transfers/deposits related to transfers this year of approximately $665,829.80 and noted the county’s public safety fund (account 1170) balance was reported at just over $2,000,000 at the start of the year.