The new Starke County EMS ambulance should arrive in March.
Starke County EMS Director Travis Clary gave the commissioners an update last week.
“It’s scheduled to be completed on March 6,” said Clary. “Dave Cole from Osage Ambulance will then take us down to Linn, Missouri which is about a six hour drive. We’re going to inspect the truck and hopefully drive it back on the 7th. I have an application filled out to get our new certification numbers and things for that truck, and then we can go from there.”
When the county acquires the new ambulance, action will move forward with an ALS transfer ambulance for Starke Hospital. They will use an ambulance from their current fleet and designate it as the transfer vehicle. The unit will create more revenue for the department.
Clary gave the commissioners a list of the state-mandated equipment needed to outfit the ALS transfer unit which includes a cot, cardiac monitor, backboards, radios, and more. The cost is about $57,000.
The commissioners will take a look at fund balances to see where line items are in order to fund the needed equipment. A decision will be made in a future meeting.
