The air ambulance is staffed with a pilot and two paramedics, one of whom is a registered nurse and both of whom are certified in critical care medicine. As part of the affiliation, a fixed-wing aircraft also will be available in Bay County year-round.

The VFD converted the Stewart Stevens 2.5-ton cargo military vehicle into a large brush truck capable of navigating the rugged terrain in the department’s 80-square-mile protection area. Department volunteers converted the truck. They painted it non-military colors of black and red. The slip-on unit has a 500-gallon water tank and a 10-gallon foam tank.

The new spreader is the beginning of the Fire Department’s extrication equipment update, Curtis said. It still needs a new cutter, which it has set aside funds to purchase in next year’s budget.