Hilltown Ambulance director seeks $50,000 to house crews away from ambulance bays

Bailey, service director at Hilltown Ambulance, outlined cramped living conditions at the agency’s headquarters at One Bramley Road in Huntington and asked the community to help raise about $50,000 to bring in a temporary housing trailer.

Bailey said the service staffs a paramedic-level ambulance 24 hours a day, with a second ambulance available when demand rises, and serves six communities: Blandford, Chester, Montgomery, Russell, Huntington and Worthington. "No one likes sleeping in a garage," Bailey said, arguing that crews should be separated from vehicles to avoid exposure to exhaust and to improve morale.

The current base houses two on-duty providers in a shared room with couches and a futon that doubles as sleeping, training and meeting space. Bailey described few kitchen facilities and no dedicated training area, saying staff often conduct impromptu training sessions in the same space where they sleep and store equipment.

Storage constraints and proximity to the ambulances also complicate shift handovers, Bailey said, noting that supply overflow is kept on a mezzanine and that cramped conditions make it harder to track inventories of PPE and cleaning supplies.

As an alternative, Bailey walked through a trailer described in the video as a FEMA-style temporary housing unit. The trailer includes two bedrooms (one used for supplies in the demonstration), a living room with seating and a television, a full kitchen with oven and refrigerator, a washer and dryer, and a full bathroom with a shower—amenities Bailey said would markedly improve hygiene, readiness and morale for providers on 24-hour shifts.

Bailey also noted that Southampton personnel modified the unit for operational use by adding security cameras, a toning system and a radio hookup. He estimated the cost to bring and install the trailer on Hilltown Ambulance property at about $50,000 and said the agency hopes to raise that sum through community donations.

To contribute, Bailey said viewers can donate through the agency’s website or by following a link in the video description; he also said a subscription program with mailed QR codes will be available to residents of the six service communities. The presentation concluded with thanks to Southampton firefighters for site access and to community supporters.

The appeal is a funding request and not a formal municipal action; no vote or ordinance was mentioned during the presentation.