Chief Jerry Minor said Wednesday they discovered the rooftop furnace over the meeting room had been vandalized sometime in the recent past. They believe the vandals got to the roof by their radio tower and then tried to pull the natural gas lines out of the furnace.

According to the chief, it caused at least $2,000 in damages to the unit. They said it also could have caused a fire on the roof. The radio tower anchor rods were also tampered with.

The fire department says the trouble stems from the “apparatus bay floor” of the station, where fire engines are housed inside the building. Whenever firefighters would pull an engine into or out of the station, the county says crews heard noises that convinced them to undertake an engineering investigation — particularly because some of the crew’s living quarters are located directly beneath the area in question.

That closer look at the concrete convinced the fire department to move its crews elsewhere, for now.

The new ambulance is equipped with a Stryker cot loading system to help transport patients. The loading system weighs about 175 pounds itself, with no patient on it, and can hold up to 700 pounds.

The ambulance also has a gel ride system to help provide a ride as comfortable as possible for patients.

The idea to raise money for a new ambulance began during a discussion between PCRMC President and CEO Ed Clayton and Auxiliary Director Tina Pridgeon. Auxiliary President Jayne Stites championed the project for approval by the Auxiliary board.