The Medix is slightly different from the other Medtec ambulances, which are no longer manufactured/ However, Fire Chief Jerry Ewers said the difference is very slight.

"It's kind of like the difference between driving a Chevy and a Ford," he said.

From beginning to end the process of replacing an ambulance can last more than a year.

"It's a long process, you start almost seven months to a year in advance of it actually happening because of the budget process," he said.

The department, Ewers said, has an internal goal of maintaining five ambulances at any given time. No easy feat with the large amount of planning and time required.

Ewers had included the request for a new ambulance in the budget packet November/December of 2014, which the council approved in March 2015. and it is expected to be operational next week, more than a year after the process began.

The ambulances that respond within minutes to a 911 call must also work well for the drivers. Ewers said he works closely with the vendor to ensure it is built well.