At the Starke County Commissioners meeting that took place February 20th, Commissioners heard from EMS Director Jim Garner in regards to a major mechanical failure that recently impacted one of the county’s ambulances.
The vehicle has 171,000 miles and is reported to be otherwise in excellent condition. The meeting minutes indicate that the engine failure involved a drop lifter and a wiped-out camshaft, which became “oval-shaped”; reportedly a known and common issue with this specific motor.
Garner shared that Curry Motors had provided a repair estimate quote of $14,463 for a completely new engine, including a 3-year warranty.
Due to the fact that the county has no backup ambulances available, this engine failure has resulted in a forced suspension of patient transfers, which is costing an estimated loss of revenue of $15,000 in a single day.
After deliberation by the board, a motion was made to approve the engine repair, at a cost not exceeding $15,000 to be funded from the Cumulative Capital fund, after receiving a second quote. The motion passed unanimously.
