HOMER — The Banks County Commission has approved the purchase of a new ambulance to replace one damaged when it overturned on its way to the hospital a month ago.
During its meeting Tuesday night, the commission voted unanimously to authorize Fire/EMS Chief Steve Nichols to spend up to $185,000 to purchase the 2017 Dodge 5500 Type I X-Series Traumahawk Ambulance by AEV. The price includes paint and graphics.
The vehicle, located at the factory in Jefferson, N.C., will be purchased through Emergency Vehicle Sales of Elberton and could arrive within two weeks. It will replace the 2013 Dodge 5550 Traumahawk unit that the county’s insurance has totaled following the May 20 wreck on Ga. 51 South. In that wreck, the ambulance was on its way to the hospital with a patient when it overturned onto its roof near Morris Gardiner Road between Homer and Lula.
“We are in need of a replacement,” Nichols told the commission. “Ambulances are like fire trucks – they are not cheap. We have diligently over the past three weeks been searching. We’ve met with several agencies. We’ve looked at demo trucks. We’ve looked at used trucks. We’ve looked at anything we thought would suit the needs of the county.”
The ambulance being replaced was a two-wheel-drive model, while the replacement has four-wheel drive.
“We’ve found a demo show truck that one of the manufacturers has in stock presently and can deliver to us within a two-week period,” Nichols said after the meeting.
The 2017 ambulance was purchased by a fire company in Texas that did not follow proper purchasing procedures, so it became available for sale by the manufacturer.
“EVS made the decision to make a show truck out of it, so they added a bunch of features to it,” Nichols said. “If we bought this truck new and ordered it tomorrow, it would cost $209,000.”
Insurance will pay Banks County $130,000 for the wrecked 2013 ambulance, with $55,000 from the county’s 2012 Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax collections for public safety making up the difference in cost.
Nichols said the county is saving about $20,000, even after the $8,000 (included in the $185,000 price) to repaint the white truck red to match the rest of the Banks County fleet.
Nichols and others went to North Carolina on Wednesday to ensure the truck meets its specifications.
