Duplin EMS seeking new ambulance
By Staff Reports
Published in News on November 19, 2009 1:46 PM
Brian Pearce, director of emergency services for Duplin County, asked the commissioners to approve a plan to "piggyback" on an existing bid contract with a Richmond County, Va. ambulance company. The county would pay a little over $105,000 for a new GMC ambulance from the company, a vehicle the services desperately need, Pearce said.
"We're going to need an ambulance or you're going to be looking at losing ambulance coverage," he told the commissioners.
Fussell inquired as to the possibility of buying locally, but Pearce reported he did not know of any local vendors who sold the kind of ambulance he is seeking for the service.
It is not feasible to purchase the two ambulances in Magnolia, which belong to the Magnolia Rescue Squad, Pearce said. The ambulances are at least five years old and run on gasoline, a more inefficient fuel for ambulances.
The money for the new ambulance will likely come from the EMS collections, but the department will not know for certain until December, Pearce said.
Commissioners sought further information on the issue before taking action.