This summer the Elverson Emergency Medical Services (EMS) will have a new vehicle in its fleet, as it has recently made moves to purchase a 2010 Medtec ambulance.
The $65,000 ambulance is a demo model with only 18,000 miles on it chronometer, and has spent its ‘life’ on display with NASCAR at the Darlington Raceway in North Carolina.
‘This will be its first time in service as an ambulance,’ said Stephen Bobella, the Executive Director of Elverson Medical Services.
According to Bobella, the purchase has been pre-approved through a loan from Susquehanna Bank for financing at a low interest rate.
Elverson EMS had recently sent a request out to the municipalities in its immediate coverage area asking for help in the form of donations to help it acquire the ambulance. With such demo models being in high demand, however, the EMS quickly went ahead with securing financing on its own to secure ownership of the vehicle. The EMS is still in talks with municipalities about some help with funding, but nothing has been agreed upon as of yet.
The new vehicle will be replacing a 2003 Horton ambulance with 195,000 miles ‘on it’. Bobella said that they have a potential buyer for the Horton, though nothing has been finalized.
Joe Carmen, the Operation Chief of Elverson EMS, had been actively searching for a replacement ambulance online when he found the Medtec.
‘I found this vehicle in late January after a few months of looking for an ambulance that would fit our needs and would fit our budget, this vehicle does both.’ Carmen said. ‘The board of directors spoke with the bank around the third week of February (about financing) after our February board of directors meeting.’
Carmen offered an estimate on price comparison, saying that the price of a new 2010 Medtec would have been approximately $150,000.
There is a small list of to-dos in order to get the ambulance ready for service with Elverson EMS – painting and lettering (the green coloring currently on the Medtec will be replaced by the blue coloring of Elverson EMS), installation of a new radio, fitting of equipment for driving in inclement weather conditions, and getting the vehicle authorized in Pennsylvania per standards of the PA Dept. of Health.
Bobella said that there will be no need for additional vehicle training needed by the Elverson EMS staff, as they have been proactive in keeping up with their training. This will allow for the vehicle to go into service immediately once the equipment and cosmetic changes have been made.
Bobella added that it is important that Elverson EMS be fiscally responsible with such purchases, as the organization continues in turning itself around since experiencing financial problems four years ago. Since those troubled times the EMS has reorganized with the assistance of the municipalities and its new Board of Directors – made up of experienced EMS professionals, community leaders, and business leaders.
‘It is great to be able to update our equipment, because it will allow us to better serve the community,’ said Bobella. ‘We have been very fiscally responsible, and this was a price which we couldn’t turn down – the (Horton) was tired and old and needed to be replaced.’
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