Supervisors purchase ambulance for EMS enhancement program

Jasper County continues to invest in its pilot EMS enhancement program — also referred to as the advanced life support (ALS) program — and on Jan. 24 the board of supervisors approved the purchase of an ambulance to further assist the part-timers responding to rural emergencies.

Originally, the county had planned to purchase an ambulance upon evaluating the program after a couple of years. Jasper County Sheriff John Halferty said an opportunity has presented itself and he requested the board of supervisors authorize the purchase now rather than later.

“We are currently working with the Iowa Department of Public Health, which certifies EMS services, and that application to them would allow us to then utilize an ambulance to transport patients if and when needed,” he said. “We have and always will be a support service for all of our fine volunteer services.”

For the times when the volunteer agencies in the county’s smaller communities have an ambulance out of service or do not have a readily available vehicle for services, Halferty said the sheriff’s office’s ambulance could be used as a loaner. Or it could be used during special events or events with multiple patients.

If the county orders the ambulance right now, the base price is $290,000. Of course, additional modifications would increase the price. Halferty stressed the need for a Power-LOAD Cot system, saying he does not know a single EMS agency that would purchase an ambulance without one. It would add $50,000.

“Our patients are getting bigger. We’re having more calls. Having a Power-LOAD Cot has been a tremendous asset to these services,” Halferty said.

However, Halferty said there will most likely be an 8 percent increase in costs to the Power-LOAD Cot system on Feb. 1. Which would make it $54,000. There is a prolonged wait time in purchasing an ambulance regardless if it is before Feb. 1. Halferty said it would take 24-30 months to deliver the ambulance.

“If we wait two years, or even a year, to order this, it could be longer,” Halferty said. “So I just want you to think about that.”

But Halferty also met with an Iowa-based emergency vehicle manufacturer called Arrow Manufacturing Inc., which had a unit reserved for another client before the client backed out. Halferty asked them to submit a proposal for the ambulance, which includes the Power-LOAD Cot System and a stair chair.

The proposal from Arrow was $354,338, but the approximate wait time was significantly less at six to eight weeks. Halferty had budgeted $400,000.

“I’ve always been the one to be prepared,” Halferty said. “I want to have the right equipment that’s going to be usable. I want to support our services and I would much rather have this and have it not utilized a lot initially than us realizing we need a unit sooner and we’re going to wait two years to two-and-a-half years.”

In addition to the ambulance purchase, Halferty told supervisors that the sheriff’s office is currently working on a partnership with the Iowa Speedway, which has a care center that sits empty unless the racetrack is hosting events. The center has an ambulance bay with offices and storage.

“We’re going to be meeting with the county attorney and preparing a memorandum of understanding where we basically partner with Iowa Speedway to help provide a need to them as well,” Halferty said. “They usually only have a few events each year and we believe we can help … cover some EMS needs.”

In exchange, the sheriff’s office would get to use the care center and ambulance bay. Halferty said this saves the county from spending money to rent or find a location to store the ambulance. Halferty said the partnership with Iowa Speedway would be beneficial.

“We had 75 or 80 calls, medical calls, at Iowa Speedway on the hot day of Indy last year,” Halferty said. “Fortunately a lot of those people weren’t transported, but I definitely think we can make an impact there and we appreciate that partnership.”

Purchasing the ambulance would come out of the county’s American Rescue Plan Act funds. Halferty said the ambulance helps the county prepare for the future, and he estimates the unit will last 10 years. If someone comes up with a better solution than the ALS program, Halferty said he has a plan for the vehicle.

“The market is really good right now for ambulances,” he said. “A county west of Des Moines wrecked an ambulance and needed to replace it. They could not find a replacement. They’re having to rent one at a significant cost now while they wait a couple years for a new build.”

Implementation of the ambulance is earlier than the ALS team had anticipated, but Halferty said right now is the perfect opportunity to have it available.