Allen County commissioners gave a thumbs-up to purchase of a new ambulance for the countywide service Tuesday morning.
Mike Burnett, ambulance director, said the new unit would cost about $200,000. The county has about $560,000 in its ambulance fund, and is responsible through its contract with Iola to make such purchases.
The new unit may be ordered late this year with delivery in 2017, when payment would be made after an infusion of additional tax money for the new budget.
Allen County also is responsible to provide Iola with $1 million a year, mostly from run revenue. If that source falls short, the county will tap its fund to bring the subsidy to the agreed-to amount.
The new ambulance will replace one purchased in 2008 that has 350,000 miles on it. The new truck will have four-wheel drive capability.
“I also want to start discussions about ambulance barns in Humboldt and Moran,” Chairman Jerry Daniels injected. Burnett noted the newer ambulances are larger and a tight fit for current facilities. Also, accommodations in the two stations are less than desirable.
New stations will be a discussion for the 2018 budget.
A combined fire and amulance station has been mentioned for Humboldt, Daniels said.
Commissioner Tom Williams allowed that would be something to consider for Moran, as well.
Looking elsewhere at ambulance service, commissioners and Burnett, with backing from Fire Chief Tim Thyer, discussed a Nov. 2 traffic accident involving a pickup truck and 11-year-old Bridgett Neeley that occurred at Bridge and Ninth streets in Humboldt.
The ambulance stationed in Humboldt was in Iola at the time of the accident, helping with a new hire procedure, Burnett said. The Humboldt ambulance arrived at the scene 11 minutes after it was dispatched, said Williams, who said he listened to recordings of 911 conversations, which included time elements.
“(Humboldt) Chief (Brian) Dillow did an incredible job,” helping the girl, who was trapped on her bicycle under the truck, Williams reported.
“Lt. Scott Aikins and many citizens also helped out a lot,” Daniels added, saying he wasn’t going “to split hairs about what happened with the response.”
At Humboldt’s council meeting Monday night, Dillow gave credit to Cole Herder, city administrator, two workers from B&W Trailer Hitches and several others who were instrumental in controlling traffic and making sure the girl was ready for transfer when the ambulance arrived.
Lesser known was a similar incident that happened the night of Nov. 3, Thyer said. “We had a Code Blue call to Humboldt” — medical slang for a near-death situation. At the time, the Humboldt ambulance and one stationed in Iola were on long distance runs.
“We dispatched the second Iola ambulance, which left Iola unprotected,” said Thyer. The unit in Moran was the only one available to cover all of the county.
IN OTHER news, commissioners:
— Appointed Jim Gilpin and Jeff Johnson to the Allen County Regional Hospital Board of Trustees. Their three-year terms will begin on Jan. 1.
— Learned a grant has been requested from the Kansas Department of Transportation to purchase a new van to provide transportation for elderly residents. A similar request was turned down last year. Cost of the van and annual operation was estimated at $69,395. If the grant is approved, KDOT’s share would be $52,316, the county’s $13,079. A decision on the grant is expected early in 2017.
