Police say the two vehicles were in the intersection at the same time when they crashed. The ambulance flipped on its side and hit a nearby stoplight pole. 

AMT says the ambulance was not responding to a call or transporting a patient at the time, but two medis were inside. One person was in the other car. 

All three were taken to the hospital but are expected to be okay. Police are investigating the cause of the crash.

Bradley said the department's equipment has reached a point that it cannot adequately be maintained.

He also said that circumstance complicates the Gary Fire Department's efforts to adequately cover the city's territory, while also cooperating with fire departments in surrounding Indiana communities with which it has joint agreements.

The resolution being reviewed by the Common Council calls for $2.3 million to be provided by the city to make the purchase.

"How do you propose we pay for this?" asked Councilwoman Mary Brown, D-3rd.

Bradley said that some of the money could be produced by the Fire Department itself in the form of revenue from fees it charges people whenever paramedics rush to a scene to provide medical treatment or transport.

He said ambulance fees could produce a few hundred thousand dollars of the cost of new fire equipment and trucks.

Bradley said it is important for the Gary Fire Department to maintain the size of its fleet, even though the city has dropped in population significantly in recent decades.

There are four other fire stations at DIA but the new station was built to keep up with the growth at the busy airport. The fire station is staffed 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Kim Day, the CEO of DIA, led the opening ceremony and explained the station will support the record-breaking airport traffic. The main area of priority for the fire station is Pena Boulevard, the final approach lot and the new infrastructure anticipated for that corridor.

The fire station boasts 18,000 square feet of space which has been designed to look like an airport hangar. The station houses one engine and a truck but there are plans to add more equipment.

The station also has an on-site training area for firefighters along with typical fire station amenities like sleeping quarters, a lounge area and a kitchen