Paying $354,050 in a capital lease to replace one of its ambulances for the Superstition Fire and Medical District was recently approved by the SFMD board of directors.
The board voted unanimously …
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Paying $354,050 in a capital lease to replace one of its ambulances for the Superstition Fire and Medical District was recently approved by the SFMD board of directors.
The board voted unanimously on April 20 to approve a commitment to purchase through a capital lease one 2023 Horton 623 Ambulance with power loader and cot.
The fire district’s ambulances were delivered in 2015, Transportation Services Director Billy Warren said at the meeting.
“We’re at that time where now it’s time to set up a replacement plan, especially considering supply-chain issues,” he said. “Our plan — with your approval — would be to commit to a new ambulance on July 1, 2022. They’re currently about an 18-month build-out for those; a lot of that time is just waiting for the chassis.”
The ambulance would be delivered in January 2024, he said.
A five-year plan would allow for the replacement of the district’s five front-line ambulances while having the least impact on the budget, Warren and SFMD Fire Chief John Whitney said in a memo to the Governing Board.
$354K ambulance
The ambulance will be on a 2023 Ford F-450 4X2 diesel chassis, according to a proposal by Chad Barrett of Professional Sales & Service LC.
The cost to the district is:
$289,750 for the ambulance;
$7,850 for the Ford extra care extended warranty;
$25,500 for a Stryker Power Load, a loading system;
$26,500 for a Stryker Power Pro 2, a powered ambulance stretcher; and
$4,450 for shipping.
5 fire stations
Superstition Fire and Medical District provides fire suppression, fire prevention, wildland protection, advanced life support, rescue, extrication and medical transportation services out of five fire stations in Apache Junction and Gold Canyon.
Under the SFMD governing board’s direction, the district has a budget of $23.7 million through four divisions: emergency services operations, which includes transport; planning and logistics; administrative services; and financial services.
SFMD Board meetings are generally held at 5:30 p.m. the third Wednesday of the month at the SFMD Administrative Office, 565 N. Idaho Road in Apache Junction. Anyone can listen by phone. The meeting call-in number is 480-646-1864 and the access pin code is 1234. Agendas are at sfmd.az.gov.
Richard Dyer Managing Editor | East Valley @RHDyer
Richard Dyer has worked at Independent Newsmedia, Inc.. USA, since 1987.
Since 2009, he has worked as a volunteer to design The Blue Guitar Magazine, Blue Guitar Jr. magazine and Unstrung magazine, which are projects of The Arizona Consortium for the Arts; and since 2014, has been overseeing the art submissions.
He also is an artist of welded-steel sculptures, selling his artwork at juried and non-juried art shows
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