The Lower Umpqua Hospital District (LUHD) Emergency Medical Service (EMS) has a new ambulance! The 2021 Ford F-550, Horton Emergency Vehicle comes to us from its manufacturer in Ohio and will begin service within the next few weeks. The new ambulance is an upgrade from the hospital’s older ones in that it is 4-wheel drive, has a diesel engine and is a heavier duty chassis that will provide years of service in our rural area. It also has the latest in safety features for the crew such as extra control panels and airbags in the patient compartment. Funds for the new ambulance were provided by the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act (2020), passed by Congress on March 25, 2020 and signed into law on March 27, 2020. The EMS crew has been working extra hours for our community and assisting with COVID vaccinations, which is how this money was secured for the ambulance purchase. The new ambulance will replace the oldest of the three ambulances currently in service by LUHD, a Horton 2000 Ford E450. The old ambulance has logged over 250,000 miles during its 21-year service. It is anticipated that the old ambulance will be retired at the end of its current state licensing, which is the end of 2021.
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