Starke County Officials Pricing Ambulances

 
 

Starke County EMS spent nearly $2,000 last month to keep its fleet on the road. Director Keith Emigh told the commissioners Monday night most of that money went toward the truck at the Grovertown base. He says repairs at the county highway garage cost $1,764.10. Additionally an air conditioning problem on the rig based at Knox and a blower motor problem on the North Judson truck had to be fixed.

Emigh says the Grovertown-based rig recently lost a cylinder.

“I don’t know if you guys want me to try to keep band-aiding this truck up. As I’ve told you guys before, 0086, Medic 5’s truck, was on its way out. Either I need a new one, used one, something to replace it, because it’s seen its day. We’ve had nothing but problems with it since we got this truck.”

The 2009 Ford was purchased used by Starke County. Emigh says he’s got one spare truck. The commissioners asked him to do a price comparison between potentially costly repairs to the existing truck and a new or used one. Emigh says a new gasoline-powered ambulance will cost about $114,000, while a diesel rig will run the county between $128,000 and $134,000. Traditionally the county has purchased diesel trucks. The commissioners note diesel fuel costs considerably more than gas right now, and there’s only a nominal difference in miles-per-gallon. County attorney Marty Lucas advised Emigh will need to get three written quotes by a set deadline and bring them to the council for consideration.