Council authorizes up to $150,000 for reserve ambulance as mutual‑aid revenue plan nears rollout

Council adopted a resolution authorizing the city administrator to spend up to $150,000 to purchase a replacement reserve ambulance. Public safety staff reported the current reserve is a 1999 unit and the frontline unit is a 2010 rig; both exceed industry replacement benchmarks (10 years or about 120,000 miles) and have required frequent repairs.

Staff described options to procure a used Type‑3 ambulance or a small box vehicle as a reserve and estimated the market range for suitable used units; they said a new Type‑1 ambulance the city ordered is expected to arrive in April and that the reserve purchase will reduce risk of vehicle failure during patient transports. The staff presentation also noted potential offsets: selling the two existing units (estimated $5,000–$10,000 each) and anticipated revenue from a pending mutual‑aid agreement with AMR that would reimburse the city roughly $2,000 per out‑of‑city response within Monterey County.

Public commenter Cindy Lloyd, a registered nurse, described a field experience where advanced life‑support capability in the ambulance made the difference in a patient's survival and urged ongoing investment in paramedic capability.

The council approved the spending authorization (Resolution 2026‑006) by roll call. Staff will pursue procurement of a reserve ambulance within the approved authority and return if additional appropriation is required.

What’s next: Staff will pursue procurement of a ready‑to‑deploy reserve ambulance, complete outfitting as required and liquidate the existing vehicles when feasible; mutual‑aid revenue processes are expected to start in February.