Orange Township Fire Department, Rome City, IN, pumper. Spartan Metro Star cab and chassis; Cummins ISL 450-hp engine; UPF Poly 1,300-gallon tank; Waterous CSUC20 1,500-gpm pump.
Madison County assisted the Cottage Hills Fire District this week in obtaining an emergency vehicle for its first responders. County Board member James Futrell of District 13 presented keys to a decommissioned police cruiser on Oct. 15 to Fire Chief Steven Quartermouse. Futrell attended a fire district open house that kicked off National Fire Safety Prevention Week.
County Board Chairman Kurt Prenzler said the county makes the vehicles available to governmental entities after being taken out of service because of high mileage or age. The county initiated the program more than 12 years ago for municipalities and emergency service departments.
Quartermouse said the 2009 Ford Crown Victoria with 124,000 miles will be used as the chief’s vehicle but will be loaded with emergency equipment that can be used immediately to aid first responders at calls.
Scotland County EMS has what are essentially two new ambulances thanks to a procedure known as remounting. EMS requested approval from the Board of Commissioners in May to have the vehicles remounted as opposed to purchasing new ones.
The process involves taking the patient area, known at the box, and placing it on a new chassis, according to EMS Director Roylin Hammond.
The trucks were remounted because the two diesel engines had mechanical issues that kept them out of service frequently. The two new chassis have gasoline powered engines.
Remounting was a quicker and cheaper alternative to purchasing new.
Police are searching for a suspect who stole an ambulance overnight. ABC13 Courtney Fischer will have live updates on Eyewitness News this morning. According to authorities, firefighters were called to a nursing home on Blalock Road. While they were inside, a suspect drove off with the ambulance.
Police were able to track the ambulance using GPS to an Exxon gas station on Highway 290 and Huffmeister. "People in the area, in restaurants, advised that ambulance pulled in with lights and sirens on. A male wearing a blue shirt jumped out and ran on foot," said Lt. Larry Crowson, of Houston Police.
