Commissioners authorize ordering ambulance chassis and issuing remount RFP

Fire leadership asked the board to approve purchasing a chassis and performing a remount to extend ambulance service life, and the board authorized staff to proceed with ordering and procurement steps.

The county administrator reported the chassis quote from John Eagle at "66,300" and discussed remount estimates from a custom builder; staff proposed funding the chassis from SPLOST proceeds and earmarking funds in an interest-bearing account while delivery and the remount (estimated at 12–15 months) are completed. Commissioners and the fire chief discussed fleet‑rotation strategy, noting remounts can extend a vehicle’s service life but that at some point a full new apparatus is appropriate. The board approved the staff recommendation to proceed with issuing an RFP for the remount and to place the chassis order under the procurement advice provided.

Commissioners emphasized the lead time in apparatus procurement — remount and chassis timelines of roughly 15–18 months were mentioned — and requested staff keep the board informed about procurement timelines, bids and any opportunities to piggyback state procurement contracts to reduce price. One commissioner noted using shared procurement cycles with larger counties can lower unit prices and urged staff to explore cooperative purchasing options.