Baxter Regional Medical Center took possession of a new ambulance Wednesday with a price tag significantly lower than levels of two to three years ago. The medical center’s Director of Paramedic Services, Gerald Cantrell, says over the past couple of years his department has taken existing ambulances and remounted them.
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Cantrell says purchasing a new chassis and revamping the box of an ambulance is being a good steward of the hospital’s money while still putting his department in sound vehicles to respond to the needs of people in the community. He says the new program has worked well and resulted in significant savings.
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Once the hospital takes possession of an ambulance, it is outfitted with equipment, supplies and medication at an additional cost of $50-$60,000 and even sometimes at a cost as high as $75,000. The result is the creation of an extension of the hospital’s emergency room.
Cantrell says the lifespan of an ambulance generally runs between five and seven years, maybe as high as 10, depending on how it’s used.
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BRMC has 11 ambulances in its fleet.
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Cantrell says his department has staff based at three locations in addition to their primary base at BRMC. The additional staffed locations are in Bull Shoals, Yellville and on Highway 5 South near the Sheid-Hopper Bypass.
He says generally there are five to six crews staffed on a daily basis to handle both local calls and transfers.
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