Reeling from a recent engine blowout, the Edwardsburg Ambulance Service's board of directors voted unanimously this week to enter into a five-year lease for a factory-new 2016 ambulance. Even with the engine problem, ambulance service to the community was never in jeopardy, EAS Administrator Dennis Closson said Wednesday.
Edwardsburg Ambulance Service mainly serves Ontwa Township, including the village of Edwardsburg.
Lease payments will be about $2,500 per month, with a $1 buyout at the conclusion of the lease. The vehicle will end up costing EAS $109,830. The first payment will be due at the time of signing the contract, which could occur as early as next week, Closson said.
The new ambulance will be a backup for the primary emergency transfer vehicle, and will be the main vehicle used for nonemergency patient transports, Closson explained. EAS also has an older vehicle, which is used at special events, such as local football games, and also as a secondary backup to the main emergency ambulance.
Ambulance repairs have caused some headaches for EAS over the summer, including the engine blowout Aug. 16 that occurred after the completion of a nonemergency patient transfer. The engine repair reportedly would have cost in excess of $10,000, which is more than the entire vehicle was worth.
Prior to the blowout, another EAS vehicle had air-conditioner problems that have since been addressed. By the end of August, the service had overrun its truck repair annual budget by about $6,000.
Meanwhile, EAS is 11 percent off of its income goal for this fiscal year — making $110,957.02 between April and August, with a goal of earning $360,000 between April and March, according to EAS board’s vice chair, Pat Makielski. These figures apply to money made from services, not proceeds from millages.