Council approves advertising $278,500 appropriation to secure demo ambulance

EMS Director Dave Simpson told the Greene County council the county is facing heavy wear and long repair outages across its ambulance fleet and asked the body to advertise an additional appropriation to secure a demo ambulance the vendor can deliver Sept. 30 for about $278,500, including striping and radios.

"The ambulance that is available in September has a total cost of approximately $278,500," Simpson said, explaining the price reflects a demo unit with reduced mileage and that the department plans to reuse existing power‑load systems and other equipment where feasible to save taxpayer dollars. He said a second unit could be available Jan. 4 but that the county will address the January purchase in the next budget cycle.

Simpson detailed operational pressures — multiple long out‑of‑service periods, high mileage transfers to regional hospitals, rising equipment costs, and the risk that waiting to order new ambulances could push prices above $300,000. He said the local replacement fund had funds available to cover purchases and that the department is pursuing grants for power‑load systems and other equipment to reduce net costs.

Council members asked about fund balances, the timing of deliveries, training and reuse of equipment, and whether buying a second ambulance this year was prudent. The council voted to advertise the $278,500 appropriation (motion seconded and carried by voice vote). Simpson said the EMS board and county commissioners will be updated as purchases and grant matches progress.

Why this matters: Ambulance availability affects emergency response times and patient transports; securing a demo unit now could reduce lead time and price risk but requires budget authorization.

Next steps: The county will advertise the additional appropriation and expect further budget discussions and formal purchasing approvals with commissioners and the EMS board.