New ambulance arrives

MARENGO — Iowa County’s new ambulance arrived last month at a cost of about $266,000 with trade-in.

The county got about $17,000 for it’s 2016 ambulance, Adam Rabe, director of Iowa County Medical Emergency Services, said this month. He told Iowa County Supervisors that he’s “pretty happy” with the new one.

The only problem EMS has had with the ambulance so far is that the chains for the tires caught in the drain at the Marengo EMS garage. The drain at the Marengo garage was altered to solve the problem.

The Rud tire chain system has been used for decades, according to the Rud website. The chains hang under the vehicle until they are switched on, at which time the chains drop down under the tire like a carpet, Rud says.

The chains can be switched on while the vehicle is in motion.

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The tire chains aren’t the only innovation the new ambulance is equipped with. The new vehicle is the last of the fleet to get a power-load cot. The bed cost $40,000, but it prevents injuries that can result from lifting patients, said Rabe.

Iowa County Supervisors approved the purchase of the Life Line 167-by-96-foot Superliner ambulance from Klocke’s Emergency Vehicles in Dec. of 2022.

At one time, the waiting period for a new emergency vehicle was two years or more. Iowa County’s new ambulance arrived in just 22 months.

EMS keeps its ambulances on a two-year rotation. “We try to budget for ½ an ambulance one year,” said Rabe, and the second half the next year.

EMS keeps two ambulances in Marengo and two in Williamsburg. With the sale of the 2016, the oldest ambulance is now the 2018, and it becomes the backup, said Rabe.

The other two ambulances are a 2020 and a 2023. COVID backed up production, said Rabe, so the county wasn’t able to purchase an ambulance in 2022.

At one time, ambulances in Iowa County were replaced every three years, but maintenance and downtime were costing the county. EMS went back to a two-year rotation in 2016, Rabe said.

Iowa County EMS is staffed for two ambulances at all times, said Rabe. If a third ambulance is needed, he’ll send out a page to see who’s available.

Equipment from the 2016 ambulance was moved over to the new ambulance, said Rabe, but some ambulance equipment is new to all of the vehicles in the fleet.

EMS recently upgraded the laryngoscopes in the ambulances with the help of a grant. The scopes use video screens so paramedics have a better view of the airway than if they were looking down a patient’s throat with their eyes only.

“This is becoming the standard for endotracheal intubation, Rabe said.

Iowa County will sell the old laryngoscopes and blades as well as old equipment bags, CPAPs and IV pumps.

EMS received $15,095 from Iowa County Community Foundation Grant for new Sapphire IV pumps for the four county ambulances in the last fiscal year.

Actual expenses so far in fiscal year 2025 show EMS $179,581 over the budget because of the delivery of the ambulance. That will even out as the year continues.

As of the end of October, total ambulance responses averaged 153.5 per month, slightly less than fiscal year 2024 monthly average of 161.33.

EMS revenue stands at $446,648 as of the end of October, $73,814 more than budgeted revenue.