It’s been a year since magistrates were first apprised of concerns that EMS had with its fleet. Last month, as the court awarded the bid to purchase the vehicles, Public Safety Director Tiger Robinson noted that only one of the 12 trucks then on the road had less than 100,000 miles.

With two of the new ambulances already here, the court discussed leasing the vehicles to the City of Somerset, which operates the EMS service with the help of an annual subsidy from the county.

The proposed one-year agreement, automatically renewable until either party submits a 30-day written notice, would involve leasing the trucks for $1 per year. County Attorney Martin Hatfield recommended having the City (as lessee) maintain the equipment as well as insurance. The contract, if approved, would take effect as of October 1.

“My understanding is that they’re [EMS] anxious to start using the equipment,” Hatfield said.

“As soon as we get that agreement done and we get the equipment put on the truck, they’ll be ready to go on the road,” EMS Director Billy Duncan said.

Hatfield asked Duncan about equipping the ambulances. The ambulance director responded that the money would come out of his department’s budget.

The crash was reported about 9:45 p.m. Thursday.

Troopers said Carolyn Mays of St. Augustine suffered critical injuries in the crash.

According to the FHP report, the ambulance was headed westbound on State Road 20 with its light activated, transporting Mays to Shands Hospital in Gainesville, when it swerved to avoid an object in the roadway, crossed the center line and hit a gold Honda Accord head-on in the eastbound lanes.

The ambulance overturned and landed on top of the Accord, troopers said.

The driver of the Accord, 55-year-old Ronald Archer, and his passenger, 35-year-old Timothy Archer, both from Ormond Beach, suffered serious injuries and were taken to Shands Hospital, the FHP said.

“The TFS grant program not only provides much needed resources for training and equipment, but it also is key to recruitment of personnel. The better equipped and trained your department is directly impacts the number of people wanting to be a member of your team,” said Ingleside Volunteer Fire Department Chief R.J. Thomas.

For decades, Anderson said, Engine 2 helped keep the citizens of Martinsville safe. Now that it has been brought back to life, that goal remains the same, although it won’t be spotted at the scenes of any fires. Instead, it will be used as an educational tool.

Area residents might have spotted Engine 2 at Oktoberfest last Saturday, or they might have seen it at MHC Public Safety Day in uptown Martinsville on Sept. 28. Wherever it goes, Anderson said, it draws a crowd both young and old.

At MHC Public Safety Day, Anderson said, “the kids loved it. I heard that bell ring so many times, my head’s still ringing. The interest around the station and from the public has just been overwhelming, and that’s a good thing.”

While people are checking out the fire engine, Anderson said, it presents an opportunity for the department to talk to them about fire safety, teach them what fire fighters do, and ask if they have checked their smoke alarms recently.

“We try to take advantage of any tool we have that catches people’s attention,” he said.

The 1934 American LaFrance is definitely an attention-grabber, and an example of how much fire fighting technology has changed over the 82 years since it was built.