In an emergency situation the last concern anyone wants to have is whether or not his or her ambulance will break down en route to a hospital. The Laramie Fire Department hopes to have addressed this concern with the acquisition of a brand new “Type 1” ambulance.
The new emergency vehicle is a 2015 Chevrolet K3500, which replaced an older ambulance with close to 150,000 miles on it. The old ambulance, which had around 150,000 miles on it, was donated to the town of Sundance,. “The old ambulance was approved for donation through City Council by unanimous vote at a Nov. 19, 2013 meeting,” LFD Shift Commander Jim Hoflund said. The old ambulance will be servicing close to 2500 people, around 1200 of which reside in the town of Sundance. This new ambulance has many updates and improvements that give it certain advantages over the old ambulance. The new vehicle has an aluminum box construction, allowing the frame to be “reused” on other chassis for up to two more refurbishments.
“The ability to upgrade the ambulance means better reliability to the customers we serve,” Hoflund said. “Maintenance costs will be lower.” The ambulance also includes a digital camera system for the patient compartment. In addition, there is LED lighting for the emergency lights and more available space in the patient compartment. The new ambulance was 75 percent funded by a 2013 Wyoming State Land and Investment Board consensus grant awarded to Albany County and 25 percent by the City of Laramie general fund. “The project cost of the ambulance was $161,869,” Hoflund said. According to the Laramie website, the general fund is used for services such as public safety, street maintenance, community services, police, fire and general government activities. The general fund is the primary operating fund of a government and is accountable for every activity that is not budgeted for in other funds. Most of the services under the general fund are paid for by sales and use tax revenues under the4th and5th Cent Taxes.
