Fleet now complete with 11 ‘new style’ vehicles

Two new ambulances for Lawrence County EMS were delivered Thursday afternoon during the county commission meeting at the courthouse.

The additions bring the EMS’ fleet to 11 “new style” ambulances throughout the county, with two or three at each station.

“We used the Neighborhood Investment Program through the county treasurer’s office to purchase the ambulances,” Lori Morris, Lawrence County EMS finance administrator said. “So we’ll make annual payments.”

She also added that the county EMS began purchasing the newer ambulances in 2011.

“With these new ambulances, we’ll be able to get rid of two old ones that we still have,” she said.

One of the new ambulances will go to the Proctorville station, while the other will go to the station in Aid Township.

“These were ordered late last year, on Dec. 29, and we were able to save $6,000 by ordering them late last year,” Jeff Gaskin, Lawrence County EMS resource and facilities administrator, said. “And these got here in record time. Sometimes it takes up to six months to receive new ambulances, but we were able to get them already.”

The ambulances were purchased from Burgess Hearse and Ambulance, of Loudonville, and cost $128,379 each, for a total of $256,758.

Gaskin said it would take approximately two weeks for the ambulances to be in service, as all of the cots, radios and other equipment need to be set up and installed.