Plymouth Fire Chief Steve Holm discussed the new ambulance that is being built for the department and an issue the company has found in obtaining a chassis.
Holm said about a month to 6-weeks ago, Crossroads Ambulance, the dealer for the new ambulance told him the 5500 Ram Chassis that is being purchased through the fleet division that is part of the new ambulance was the issue. He said Ram is slowing production, so they won’t be making as many. While they can still get that chassis it would push the completion much further out.
The option they suggested was to purchase the 5500 through the retail side but that would require the city to add several options to make it compatible with the ambulance and increase the cost by about $10,000.
The other option was for to fire department to find a Ram 5500 with the specifications needed for the ambulance on their own and purchase it and send it to the company for installation. Chief Holm said they did that through Auto Park, and it was $65,174.
The agreed to price, at the time the city ordered the ambulance was $372,867.
Chief Holm said the city will have to purchase the chassis outright, spending funds now but the amount of the ambulance will be reduced by the among of the chassis bid in the initial proposal. The price Crossroads Ambulance quoted for the Ram 5500 was $68,394.
The city is planning to fund the ambulance using APR funds.
The Board of Works approved the purchase of the chassis from Auto Park.
