Two firefighters demonstrated how the power stretcher smoothly exits the rear of the truck, then goes back inside with no physical stress on the men. A camera screen inside the truck cab not only shows the rear exterior of the truck, it also provides images of inside the “box” that transports the patient and paramedics.

The 2017 Dodge Ram 4500 demonstrator truck that Sebold bought new from Osage Ambulances of Linn, Missouri, arrived at the Don Twichell Memorial Fire Station #1 on Dec. 15.

There was plenty to do in the following weeks, from equipping the vehicle with radio equipment and medical supplies to getting the title transferred, registering the ambulance with the state, obtaining license plates and passing inspections by the Illinois Department of Transportation and Illinois Department of Public Health.

The station will house three personnel at a time and service the southwest and west area of Hanford, where response times are slower. The new station is all about improving response times to emergency calls and better serving the growing Hanford community.

The Hanford Fire Department has long aimed to reach the National Fire Prevention Association standard to reach 90 percent of its calls within five minutes, including prep and drive time.

All five Hanford City Council members attended the groundbreaking along with numerous Hanford firefighters and fire personnel from neighboring cities.