Greene County Ambulance will get a new ambulance, but not for another two years. The county supervisors at their June 22 meeting approved a quote and signing a purchase agreement with American Response Vehicles for a 2027 AEV X-Series LTD ambulance at a cost of $356,000. The ambulance will be a “twin” to one the ambulance department already has.
The county doesn’t have funds available now for the purchase, but the ambulance won’t be delivered for another two years. Ambulance director Michelle Madsen will apply for grant funding for the ambulance, and money will be included in the next budget year. If funds aren’t raised the ambulance will be sold to another buyer.
The vote on the motion to sign the agreement was 4-1, with John Muir casting the dissenting vote. “I don’t have a problem with it. My only caveat is the level of commitment we have… We have the money. We can get the money. Whether that’s the best way to spend it – that’s my concern,” Muir said.
“We’re going to have to look at what we can set aside for this, and then we’ll know how much we can afford and what we have to raise,” board chair Dawn Rudolph said.
“Yes, what you said is key. What can we afford?” Muir replied. “That’s where it gets hard at this stage. I know what you (Greene County Ambulance) need. I know what you’re fighting against.”
He said farmers are faced with a similar question when equipment breaks down in the field, always asking what they can afford. “That’s when we get in a tough spot with an ambulance,” he continued.
Madsen had received a quote from another company that was within $6,000 of the ARV quote. She said not many services use that company’s ambulances and she hadn’t been able to get much information about customer satisfaction. The last ambulance purchased in 2022; the price was $268,000.
