Starke Commissioners Table Ambulance Quotes

EMS Director Paul Mathewson
EMS Director Paul Mathewson
The Starke County Commissioners this week heard price quotes for a new garage door and an ambulance for the county EMS department. Director Paul Mathewson and Mary Lynn Ritchie approached the commissioners to present the information, and Mathewson presented the ambulance quotes to County Attorney Marty Lucas for his review.

Lucas read the quotes aloud; Fire Service Inc. presented a quote of $113,250 for a 2013 Chevrolet G4500 model ambulance with 1432 miles, while Medix Specialty Vehicles quoted $112,753 for a Ford E450 Super Duty ambulance conversion. Commissioner Kathy Norem asked that the bids be taken under advisement to allow Commissioner Kent Danford, Councilman Dave Pearman and Mathewson to review them. A motion was passed unanimously to do so.

Mathewson said the department is also looking to increase their paramedic service by swapping the Knox ambulance with the soon-to-be-purchased ambulance. The ambulance that is being replaced would then go to North Judson or Grovertown to allow for faster response. Mathewson will return at a later meeting with statistics on the Grovertown and North Judson bases to determine which would benefit more from the ambulance.