City plans to purchase new ambulance

The city of Whitefish is ordering a new ambulance to add to its fleet and replace aging equipment.

City Council in June approved a contract with Braun Northwest in the amount of $200,000 for a new 2018 Dodge four-by-four ambulance.

The new ambulance is expected to arrive in April 2018. The city has budgeted $25,000 and will use a $175,000 INTERCAP loan from the state for the purchase.

Fire Chief Joe Page said Whitefish provides ambulance services to the city and surrounding area as part of the Flathead County EMS System.

“In order to provide this service, we maintain a fleet of three fully equipped ambulances,” he said. “These emergency response vehicles respond to over 75 percent of our calls for service every day, throughout the year, in all weather and road conditions.”

The new ambulance will include a liquid spring suspension and a stretcher power load to aid paramedics in loading the stretcher into the ambulance.

Page said the new suspension system is far more reliable that the current air-ride system and the stretcher power load will be a huge heath and safety benefit.

The fire department’s goal is to rotate its ambulance fleet every three years with the oldest ambulance being less than 10 years old and with less than 100,000 miles, according to Page.

Once the new ambulance arrives the city expects to sell its 2003 Ford two-wheel drive ambulance. It also has 2013 and 2009 ambulances.