Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Emergency Medical Services topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Chief presents draft ambulance replacement schedule; commissioners weigh costs and remount options
Summary
Fire Chief Stephens proposed a draft ambulance replacement policy that would rotate frontline ambulances approximately every four years (about 240,000 miles), moving older chassis to reserve. Commissioners asked for time to consider budget impacts; no policy adoption occurred.
Fire Chief Stephens presented a draft replacement policy for ambulances recommending a four-year rotation (roughly 240,000 miles) that would move older frontline chassis into reserve rather than immediate disposal.
Stephens said the County’s four frontline ambulances average about 5,000 miles per month (roughly 60,000 miles per year) and that a replacement cadence will ensure more reliable frontline units while retaining a reserve fleet. He estimated a new ambulance costs approximately $350,000–$400,000, while remounting a box onto a new chassis would run roughly $175,000–$225,000. Stephens said remounts are an option but cautioned against remounting a box more than twice.
Commissioners discussed alternatives and tradeoffs. Commissioner Bryan Threadgill suggested a faster rotation could keep backup units newer, while Commissioner Adam Worsley cautioned that adopting a formal policy creates public expectations and budget commitments that future boards may question if not followed. Stephens described the document as a guide for planning rather than a binding annual purchase commitment. The Board requested additional review and did not adopt the policy at that meeting.
Next steps: staff and chiefs will refine the replacement planning document and return to the Board with budget scenarios and timing for potential purchases or remounts.
