SOUTHWICK – The town’s second ambulance will soon be equipped for Advanced Life Support response.
Fire Chief Russ Anderson discussed options to quickly get the ambulance up to speed during a Southwick Select Board meeting hosted on Zoom last week.
Anderson said the cost to equip the ambulance was in the next fiscal year budget, however, with more calls for ambulance service in Southwick and surrounding communities due to COVID-19, he had a plan to get the ambulance equipped now.
“The biggest [cost] is the monitor, which is a $40,000 item,” said Anderson.
He told selectmen that they could approve an emergency transfer of funds, funds by leasing the equipment and use a $15,000 donation from a family that wished to designate the funds for ambulance service.
Anderson said the $8,000 per year lease was for seven years.
Chief Administrative Officer Karl Stinehart said the Board could enter into a three-year contract without taking the matter to Town Meeting.
“Take some of the money we have, use the donation and see what we could do for a three-year lease,” Stinehart suggested as a solution to getting the ambulance running ALS as soon as possible.
Selectman Douglas Moglin said the suggestion “seems reasonable.”
Anderson said he would be able to receive the equipment in a week.
Anderson noted that one firefighter received clearance to ride with just one medic to complete part of his education for becoming a paramedic. Anderson said this allows the department to use both ambulances at the same time, which sparked the request to equip it for ALS now.
