Floyd County accepts EMS grant to replace ambulance, upfit equipment

The Floyd County board voted unanimously on Feb. 10 to accept a reimbursement grant from the Office of Emergency Medical Services to replace an aging ambulance and to upfit a lower-mileage vehicle with modern equipment.

Chief Dustin Thomas presented the county's ambulance inventory and the rationale for applying for the grant, saying the county's medic units range from model years 2015 to 2021 and that mileage on several vehicles is high. "We received a $30,000 award for it," Thomas said while listing individual grant awards toward the power-load cot system, cardiac monitor/Lucas device and the ambulance chassis and box.

Why it matters: county EMS leaders warned that several vehicles are approaching or past typical service lifespans and that purchasing on a compressed timetable would strain capital budgets. The grant reduces the county's upfront cost by roughly half for the listed items, but Thomas cautioned it is a reimbursement grant and that the county must pay upfront and wait for reimbursement.

The grant package as presented included roughly $168,669 toward an ambulance priced about $337,338; additional awards included $38,415.62 toward cardiac monitor/compression devices and $30,000 toward a power-load system. Thomas said the combined project cost leaves the county with an estimated post-reimbursement obligation in the neighborhood of $247,000–$249,000.

Board questions focused on procurement, chassis/wheelbase tradeoffs for rural driveability, and alternatives such as remounting an existing box on a new chassis. Thomas said the procurement used the Houston‑Galveston cooperative process and that Atlantic Emergency Solutions (Roanoke) provided specifications and inspection services.

Several board members noted local budget planning already includes a line item for ambulance replacement. Speaker 5 confirmed the 2026 budget set aside about $160,000 toward an ambulance purchase; board discussion indicated an additional ~$80,000 would be needed to cover the project described in the grant packet.

A motion to accept the grant from the Office of Emergency Medical Services (grant NRCO1‑12‑25) was offered by Speaker 6 and seconded; the clerk called the roll and recorded affirmative votes for the named board members present. Following the vote, members emphasized the countywide nature of EMS service and the need to consider station mapping and staffing as vehicles are realigned or refurbished.

What happens next: staff and EMS leadership will proceed with the procurement and reimbursement process outlined in the grant; Chief Thomas said manufacturing timelines estimate 16–19 months for a new vehicle from order to delivery. The board also asked staff to return with additional details on remounting/refurbishing options and on how equipment would be redistributed among existing and volunteer-transferred vehicles.

Votes at a glance: the motion to accept the grant was approved by roll call with the board members listed during the vote responding "Yes."