If you can hold off needing an ambulance for a few weeks, you might get a ride in Arkansas City’s new one-of-a-kind ambulance. The new $198,000 emergency vehicle was built to the specifications of Ark City’s own firefighters and paramedics.
“There are a lot of different safety features to prevent injuries to firefighters and to make our patients more comfortable,” said Ark City Fire Chief Randy Leach.
He and EMS Director Matt Orr this week picked up the new International model from Osage Industries in Linn, Mo.
“It has the ability to accommodate?very large, medically obese?patients,” Leach said. “There are very few of these (ambulances) in the state.”
The new ambulance has a wench system that will pull the cot onto a set of ramps to load the patient.
“Some patients are very, very large and? require 10 to 12 to lift them. Now, we don’t have to lift,” the chief said.
That will eliminate some of the stress on both firefighters and patients. “It’s a pretty unique deal.”
An ambulance committee began drawing up the specifications. Then everyone else in the department had an opportunity to provide input and come up with ideas to make the ambulance safer and the patients more comfortable, Leach said.
“We’ve been told that now people coming to visit the factory want copies of our specifications,” he said. “They’ve found (our ambulance) to be really well designed.”
The price tag includes approximately $30,000 in additional safety equipment to prevent back injuries.
The lettering of vehicle is scheduled for Tuesday and then loose equipment and medical supplies will have to be loaded. Radios also have to be installed.
“We hope to get it going as quick as we can,” Leach said.
It took a while but Leach finally admitted he and Orr blew the big horn once – just once he claims – on the trip back from Missouri.
“Kids waved at us. We put a big smile on the kids’ faces; maybe a smile on ours, too,” he said.
There are no suckers or prizes for the first to ride in the new ambulance.
“They’ll just get a really nice ride,” Leach said.