Members of the Joint Fire/EMS Oversight Committee unanimously approved South Shore Fire Chief Robert Stedman's ambulance replacement plan but with a little bit of flexibility built in.
Stedman presented his plan - the same one he brought to the Sturtevant Village Board two weeks ago - Thursday during the committee's regularly scheduled meeting.
In short, Stedman has a plan for replacing all six ambulances in the department's fleet over the next four years. Instead of starting with a new rig to replace the 1998 unit, Stedman's idea was to start with two remounts and then purchase a new ambulance.
A remount takes an existing box - the large area in back where patients are loaded for transport - and places it on a new chassis with all new wiring and mechanicals. The fleet's three 2005 models are targeted for remount while the 1998 and two, 2001 models are targeted for full replacement with the capability of being remounted in the future.
But, Sturtevant Administrator Mary Cole said she didn't think her board would go for the remounts first since a new ambulance at $180,000 was what was budgeted for 2013. Sturtevant Trustee John Johnson agreed that his fellow trustees would probably rather buy a new rig, but he was throwing his support behind Stedman.
"I think our board will want a new ambulance this year and we can look at remounting two next year," he noted. "But I think the chief's plan gets the worst units replaced and on the road faster which better serves our residents."
Battalion Chief Jon Keiser pointed out that by this time next year, even if a new ambulance is first and the remounts are second, three new units will be on the road.
"Either way you look at it, a year from now we'll have half the fleet taken care of," he said.
In the end, all members commended Stedman and his team for their creative approach to funding new ambulances and voted to approve his plan with the caveat that a new or demo ambulance not to exceed $180,000 be purchased still this year.
The two remounts will be ordered after the first of the year and are expected to cost about $109,000 each. Another remount plus a new ambulance is planned for 2015 and the final 2001 would be replaced in 2016.
Trustees at their respective board meetings will discuss the matter and vote on whether or not they should stick with the committee's recommendation.
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