Starke County EMS Director Travis Clary and a representative from Osage Ambulance will be making the trek to Linn, Missouri today to pick up the county’s new ambulance. It should arrive home in a couple of days.
Clary told the Starke County Commissioners Monday night that all of the certifications have been approved for the new truck. He said there are a couple pieces of equipment that are still needed for the ambulance.
“The biggest delay will be the ambulance cot,” said Clary, “They said it will be about seven to nine weeks. We have other cots for that capability so I’m not worried about that setting off the transfer unit. The other thing is radios. With the 800 mHz radios, we’re required to get with the state to get certification numbers and they have to program them. It’s kind of a long process.”
With the new ambulance on board, an older ambulance will be able to be used as a transfer unit as a primary truck for Starke Hospital. The transfer unit is anticipated to be in operation on April 1.
The commissioners and the Starke County Council members approved the purchase of $57,000 worth of equipment to properly outfit the new ambulance. When a new ambulance is purchased, the existing equipment is transferred to the new truck, but the county is adding a truck so the purchase was necessary.
Clary anticipates interviewing candidates next week for part-time EMT and Paramedic positions to staff the transfer unit.
