News Talk 94.1/AM 1600 Where The Upper Cumberland Talks
Overton County will try again to move forward on new ambulances after the Commissioners’ Monday night vote.
The county approved the purchase of two ambulances for the price of just over $472,000. County Executive Steven Barlow said the board has actually approved the purchase of these ambulances twice. The order was canceled because the price for an ambulance went up $14,000 between the approval of the purchase and placing the order.
“For the two ambulance was almost $480,000 but another county, a neighboring county, just bought one just shy of $300,000 for one,” Barlow said. “So it all depends on how bad you want it, how much you’re going to pay for it.”
Barlow said the county’s need for ambulances is high. He said the ambulances they current have are constantly breaking down despite just being three or four years old.
“We’re constantly working on the ones we have now and you’re talking ’19, ’20 models that shouldn’t be tearing up that is tearing up,” Barlow said. “So you got to think what in the world is going on. You’re having to replace parts all the time, it’s turbos, the engines we’ve had to replace in the ’19 model. All the time you’re rebuilding engines.”
Barlow said the new ambulances were supposed to be added to the fleet this year. However, with the pricing set back, he does not think the county will see the new ambulances until late 2004 or early 2025.
“We’ve got so many broke down that’s the reason why we’re having to order new ambulances,” Barlow said. “Like I said, we’re constantly working on them and we can’t go without them. So when you’re running three to four ambulances and you’re used to having six to seven, so.”
The board had already previously approved the purchase of one ambulance. The county is waiting to add three ambulances total to its emergency service vehicles. The board went ahead and approved to explore bids on remounting the two new ambulances. Remounting is when the back part of an ambulance is remounted on to a new ambulance chassis.
