South Shore Ambulance Dilemma: How We Got Here

A South Shore ambulance broke down twice on Feb. 21 while answering a call for chest pains, highlighting the fire department's need for the new rescue unit that's been budgeted for the last three years.

The good news is that the patient was not in a life-threatening situation, but as an SSFD fire fighter commented to Patch, "It shouldn't matter if the patient has a broken toe or is in full cardiac arrest. Ambulances should not be breaking down."

A new ambulance has been budgeted by both Mount Pleasant and Sturtevant for the last three years, and in 2011 the Mount Pleasant Finance/Legal/License Committee very nearly approved the purchase. Trustee Jerry Garski asked SSFD to look into a remount instead to potentially save tens of thousands of dollars.

Interim Fire Chief Mark Pierce at the Feb. 20 committee meeting told trustees that so far in . He also told trustees that by not buying equipment to replace aging units, board members were setting the villages up for potentially having a bill for $1 million plus in both 2015 and 2016.

South Shore Fire Battalion Chief Jon Keiser has been tasked with sending out requests for proposals (RFP) for a new ambulance and two remounts. A remount entails taking the big box of the back where patients are loaded and putting it on a new chassis with new wiring and new mechanicals. 

The new ambulance has been budgeted at $180,000 with the cost split between the villages where Sturtevant pays 18 percent of the price according to the formula outlined in the consolidation agreement of 2009. A remount can cost significantly less, at about $100,000 or so. Sturtevant would also pay 18 percent of that cost if that board approves a remount when it is presented to them.