New Ambulance for Conn. Agency
Dec. 24--STRATFORD -- There was a huge present under the proverbial Christmas tree at Stratford Emergency Medical Service.
It's a 2016 Type II Sprinter ambulance manufactured by American Emergency Vehicles of Jefferson North Carolina. The van-type ambulance "was entirely built in the U.S.A.," according the SEMS Director Michael Loiz.
Costing $103,000, the new vehicle was paid for -- as is the case with the rest of the agency's $2.3 million annual budget -- with the money it receives from billing insurance companies for transport.
The new vehicle is a van-based ambulance as opposed to the box-truck style. These cost about half as much, Loiz said. A full-size box-style ambulance would have cost more than $200,000.
The new ambulance will be SEMS's seventh ambulance. The last new ambulance purchase was made in 2013, although that was a "re-mount" -- an older service box that's placed on a new chassis.
No vehicle retirements are planned immediately, although Loiz said that the oldest vehicle, manufactured 15 years ago, will likely be sent out to pasture sometime in the coming months.
"The van-style ambulance is a departure from the ambulances we've purchased over the past few years," Loiz said. "SEMS is a mixed, volunteer-paid ambulance service. We've decided to maintain a mixed fleet of box-style and van-style to better meet the needs of our staff and community."
Loiz said that the new vehicle will enter service in mid-January. First, the vehicle has to the outfitted with gear and it will also have to be certified by the state Department of Health.
Loiz said that Stratford EMS responded to nearly 7,000 calls, or about 19 calls every day. All of the calls are emergency in nature. Requests for a private ambulance runs are referred to commercial ambulance providers. For the current fiscal year, SEMS is paying Town Hall $400,000 for what's usually called "rent."
The SEMS was established in 1977. Prior to that, the Police Department provided the service.
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