Starke County EMS Director Eric Wood addressed several mechanical issues with his department-issued vehicle with the Starke County Council members during their most recent meeting.
Wood explained that the 2013 Ford Explorer with 106,000 miles has a broken seat and is only operational in the reclining position, and there is a transmission issue in the lower gears. He commented that the vehicle “chugs” along in the lower gears and appears to operate normally in higher gears.
He said the cost to replace the transmission is about $5,500 and about $39,000 for an entirely new vehicle. Those amounts are not available in his budget so he sought recommendations from the council about the issue.
It was suggested that a car used solely for parts at the Starke County Sheriff’s Department may have a usable transmission that could be installed in the vehicle. Woods said he would work with the sheriff and find a mechanic to install the transmission and the council agreed that would be the best choice at this time.
