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Committee reviews EMS vehicle replacements, plans ambulance orders for 2027–2028
Summary
The Canaan Capital Improvement Program Committee reviewed EMS vehicle and ambulance replacement schedules and decided to remove certain equipment line items from the capital spreadsheet; the 2015 ambulance is slated for replacement with ordering in 2027 and delivery anticipated in 2029.
The Canaan Capital Improvement Program Committee on Aug. 5 reviewed the Emergency Medical Services fleet and equipment timetable, hearing details from Steven Kulacz, noted as attending "from the EMS." Kulacz reported the EMS light‑duty vehicle, a 2016 Ford Explorer formerly used by the police, has over 100,000 miles and should be replaced within two years. He outlined options: reassign a Fire Department Tahoe (replacement due 2032) or the 1‑ton utility vehicle (replacement due 2035) to EMS and buy new for the Fire Department, or purchase a new EMS vehicle in 2027.
Kulacz also presented the ambulance replacement schedule. The department has ambulances purchased in 2015, 2017 and 2024 with an estimated useful life of seven years. The 2015 unit—described as in fair condition and with more than 100,000 miles—was slated to be ordered in 2027, paid for in 2028 and delivered in 2029 to allow a two‑year lead time; the 2017 unit is tentatively scheduled for a replacement order in 2028 with expected delivery in 2030. Committee discussion noted that there is no immediate replacement plan for the 2024 ambulance.
The committee discussed auxiliary ambulance equipment (monitors, vents, stretchers and LUCAS units) and recorded that vents purchased in 2025 have a seven‑year useful life (replacement in 2032). The committee decided to delete the spreadsheet line items for vents, stretchers and LUCAS units; monitors will be replaced as part of new ambulance purchases. The action was recorded as a committee decision to remove those capital lines from the spreadsheet.
Next procedural steps discussed included timing the orders to match lead times and updating the capital spreadsheet to reflect the committee's deletion of the equipment lines and the proposed vehicle‑replacement schedule.
