EMS director Matt Lindewirth said some of the agency's ambulances have too many miles and constantly need maintenance. Cole County EMS has 12 ambulances in its fleet and the two new ones will replace two on the front lines.

The purchase from Demers comes in almost $20,000 under the budget of about $235,000 per ambulance and equipment, while a purchase from Osage Industries would have come in nearly $23,000 over budget.

It is actually a volunteer firehouse and is not continuously manned, so no one was there when the fire started.

The fire company had four trucks in that building, but they were only able to get one out.Fire crews from all over came to help, including from Jefferson, Scott and Jennings counties.

A study by the consulting firm Emergency Vehicle Response found that the current fleet is well beyond its front-line service life and that a top priority was the replacement of a rescue engine that was in poor condition.  

Pierce Manufacturing made the only bid at over $712,000. With the addition of equipment and funds set aside for contingencies, the total cost of the project was over $750,000.