IFPD Oks used ambulance purchase

Idyllwild Fire Protection District (IFPD) Chief Mark LaMont called a
special meeting of the board of commissioners for Tuesday, March 5, to
discuss and approve a single item: the purchase of a used low mileage
type III ambulance for $60,000 to replace the oldest of four ambulances.
Fern Valley Water General Manager Victor Jimenez was invited because of
his experience with the exact make and model of the base vehicle, a 2008
Chevrolet G3500.

A type III ambulance is a heavy duty unit built on a cutaway van
chassis. The driver’s compartment communicates with the patient module
through a doorway rather than a window.

The old ambulance, built on a 1999 Ford E350 platform, has been removed
from service after logging 178,000 miles, and according to LaMont, “It
is going to cost more than that piece of equipment is worth to get it
back on the road.” LaMont found the replacement through a broker, Global
Emergency Vehicles (GEV), based in Pennsylvania, where the ambulance was
stationed at an Air Force base and kept in a hangar, minimizing
weathering. It has only 31,000 miles on its odometer. LaMont expressed
confidence that it would provide at least 10 years of service.

The four ambulances IFPD owns now were bought in pairs: the first pair
in 1999 and 2000, and the second in 2020 and 2021. LaMont expressed a
desire to avoid this “stacked” purchasing so that replacement costs are
spread out more evenly. He said that after this purchase, he would “like
to see another year-and-a-half, minimum, before” purchasing a
replacement for the next oldest ambulance.

One of the main selling features of the ambulance is its engine, a
6.6-liter Duramax Diesel. LaMont said Chevrolet no longer puts a diesel
in this type vehicle due to cost. Jimenez vouched for the desirability
of this particular engine, highlighting its longevity; he sold his own
truck with this engine after it had logged over 358,000 miles, and told
the board that its new owner is still pulling a trailer with it in
Wisconsin, and it has passed the 500,000-mile mark. His current truck, a
2008, was purchased with 237,000 miles on it.

More recent models, according to Jimenez, have more stringent emissions
systems, and these reduce the engine’s reliability. He called the
pre-2009 vehicles “absolutely phenomenal,” and called the engine and
transmission “the best diesel power-train package, hands down, of the
last 20 years.”

The packet provided to the board also included several comparison
quotes. A new build of the same model as the old vehicle, a 2024 F350
type III ambulance, would cost $199,000 (subject to availability of
chassis and parts), would take from 330 to 360 days to complete (or
more, noted LaMont) and would require a 40% down payment (about
$80,000.) LaMont said he had been talking with this firm for over a
year, and they provided the lead to GEV, “one of their competitors.” GEV
called LaMont Monday and he called the special session for the next day.
Other options presented in the packet included a 2023 Ram 4500 for
$314,900.

Commissioner Henry Sawicki asked about the condition of the ambulance’s
tires and the possibility of seeing the truck himself before purchasing
it. LaMont noted that the proposal states that it has gone through a
“125-point” inspection and told the board it was “100% service ready.”
Sawicki and President Dan Messina brought up the idea of going to
Pennsylvania themselves to pick up the ambulance; The Sawicki family
have done this in the past for IFPD. This would save the nearly $5,000
that delivery on a transport vehicle would cost, but LaMont pointed out
that once the price of one-way airfare, lodging, food and gas were added
to the added 3,000 miles the vehicle would log, the savings would be
minimal. He also brought up the uncertainty of winter weather conditions
across the Midwest, and the possibility of damage to the ambulance.
Sawicki himself remembered the high winds he encountered in Kansas
during the last trip. Commissioner Rhonda Andrewson also expressed
skepticism over the wisdom of this type of volunteer effort and the
desire to get the vehicle into service quickly.

LaMont assured the board the purchase will be California tax-exempt, but
there may be other fees, and the quoted transportation fee, $4,950, was
only an estimate. In order to streamline the purchase, the board
discussed keeping the option open of providing alternative transport.

Andrewson asked about providing a “cushion” against contingency. Legal
counsel provided the language: The chief should be authorized to spend
up to an additional 10%; $65,000 plus $6,500. This was passed
unanimously.

In a separate motion, the old ambulance was declared “surplus” and the
chief authorized to dispose of it in any cost effective and lawful
fashion. The chief rejected the notion of donating it. “I wouldn’t wish
that piece of equipment on a nonprofit.” He said IFPD would pull the
radio and other reusable components before disposing of it.

The next regular meeting is 3 p.m. Tuesday, March 26.