County EMS Gets Two New Ambulances

Fayette County EMS recently took delivery of two new ambulances. The newest one arrived last week.

The unit is the department’s second ambulance built by the manufacturing company Demers. Both were being outfitted this week with stretchers and medical supplies. Fayette County EMS Director Josh Vandever said he hopes to place them in service by the middle of this month.

The two new ambulances (at a price tag of just over $200,000 a piece) will feature power load devices that will assist medics with loading patients inside.

Vandever said most worker compensation claims in EMS departments come from leg, shoulder and back injuries that occur while carrying patients.

“The power load helps us avoid those injuries,” he said.

The new ambulances also feature thicker walls and more insulation.

“(Air conditioning) is what fails the most often on our older units,” Vandever said. “The thicker walls with more insulation prevents stress on the A/C system.”

The ambulances also include several upgrades to keep medics and patients safer in the event of a wreck.

One of the new ambulances was recently on display at a Fire and EMS apparatus expo that took place during a fire training program at Texas A&M University.

Vandever said all but two of the department’s ambulances currently in service have over 200,000 miles. The new ambulance will allow the department to phase-out units with high milage and maintenance issues.