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Mitchell County briefed on $400,000‑plus ambulance purchase; approval pending attorney review
Summary
County staff described a demonstrator ambulance the county inspected and asked commissioners to approve purchase pending legal review; staff said the vehicle costs "over $400,000," will require additional outfitting, and faces state and DEA inspections before entering service.
Mitchell County commissioners were briefed on a proposal to buy a demonstrator ambulance that county staff said costs "over $400,000" and were asked to approve the contract pending review by the county attorney.
The county staff member presenting the purchase told commissioners the county’s emergency medical services fleet has four vehicles, “1 has some engine issues, another has some transmission issues,” and that acquiring an ambulance through normal ordering channels typically takes "18 to 24 months." The staff member described the demonstrator as a four‑wheel‑drive F‑550 diesel with a hydraulic rear lowering system and said it would allow the county to rotate a vehicle out of service for maintenance without reducing coverage.
Staff said the demonstrator includes some outfitting but would still need additional equipment: a self‑loading cot/track system, two‑way radios, cardiac monitors and a small refrigerated cooler for temperature‑sensitive medications. The presenting staff member said the county would transfer existing components where appropriate and that local vendors had been asked for bids on striping and finishing work.
On schedule and regulatory steps, a staff member said the vendor listed 60 days in the contract but was "shooting for December 1 for us," and that a Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) inspector was scheduled to conduct a base inspection; when DHHS approval is complete, staff said the file would proceed to the Drug Enforcement Administration for narcotics authorization and tagging.
County counsel told the board the purchase contract requires the vendor to deliver vehicles in serviceable condition appropriate for their age and normal operating conditions. Counsel also noted the contract includes a 10% retainage to be held back to cover any hidden defects discovered at acquisition.
Commissioners asked about trade‑ins and whether the ambulance would immediately enter county rotation. Staff said no trade‑ins were planned for this purchase, that the ambulance would be marked as county property, and that final timing of full county operation would depend on completing the transition checklists, inspections and any additional outfitting.
No formal vote or recorded roll call on the ambulance purchase appears in the transcript. Staff asked the board to approve the purchase pending legal review and advice from the county attorney; that approval was discussed on the record but an explicit tally was not recorded in the provided transcript.
The next procedural step, as discussed, is attorney review of the purchase contract and confirmation of required inspections and outfitting before the county places the vehicle fully into service.
