“We have been using ambulance vehicles that were purchased during the First Med bankruptcy, and used units purchased from various dealers,” said Bertie County Manager Scott Sauer at the time. “These units have gotten us through our initial startup, but are becoming more and more costly for the county to repair. We are also experiencing frequent breakdowns with these vehicles and are in desperate need of more reliable 911 ambulances.”

He says he fell in love with fire trucks and firefighting as a child, and that he still feels a deep connection to the work even though he's retired. So he bought an old fire truck and outfitted it to carry a casket so that firefighters and paramedics can be carried on board during their funeral processions.

The engine and vehicle — a Ford SUV — mentioned in the post are “fully operational,” representatives said. A mini-pumper truck was also sent to the Tolland department, former Burrville Fire Chief Matthew Vogt said.

House Bill 4 does two main things — it changes how state fire fund money is distributed and causes more than $78 million of law enforcement and fire suppression funding statewide to revert to the state general fund. In her message, Martinez said she was able to sign the bill because these cuts are one-time, nonrecurring transfers.