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Augusta County approves replacement ambulance amid supply delays
Summary
Board approved purchase of a 2026‑model ambulance after hearing that delivery delays since COVID have forced the county to run ambulances past their planned rotation; county staff said the unit price is about $445,360 and is part of a 10‑year replacement plan.
Augusta County supervisors voted to approve the purchase of a replacement ambulance after staff said industry delays have forced the county to operate older ambulances longer than planned. The county’s fire/rescue chief told the board the department follows a 10‑year rotation for ambulances and that a 2026‑chassis unit is listed at about $445,360.
The request came during the meeting’s public‑safety section, where the chief described how COVID‑era supply chain issues have lengthened production time for ambulances, leaving the county to run reserve units well past their expected frontline and reserve service life. “The timeframe getting them in is taking longer,” the chief said, explaining that chassis now arrive years later than they did before the pandemic and several units are running 170,000–190,000 miles.
County Administrator Tim Fitzgerald confirmed the purchase is a capital replacement plan item and that funding will come from the capital account. A board member moved to approve the purchase and another seconded; the motion carried.
Board members asked about competitive procurement and whether the county had compared manufacturers. The chief said the county procures through its sourcewell/procurement process and that several manufacturers build ambulances for other localities, with prices in the same general range. The chief also noted the county currently has two units still on order from prior years.
The board’s approval authorizes the county to proceed with the purchase and to fund it through the approved capital replacement account. The county did not provide a detailed roll‑call tally in the meeting record for this vote.
