County declares ambulance surplus and approves donation to Dickenson County fire/rescue

Rockbridge County supervisors voted July 28 to declare a 2004 Ford ambulance surplus and to donate the vehicle to a locality in need via the Virginia Fire Chiefs Association program. Fire/rescue leadership said the county's new ambulance was placed into service and that the older unit lacks certain equipment removed for the new vehicle and "doesn't technically meet OEM standards to have a license currently."

Chief presenters said the ambulance was originally donated to Rockbridge by the Goshen First Aid crew, had required engine work done in 2020 (about $12,000), and has been used as a backup and loaned to the city of Lexington in the past. Fire/rescue staff said selling the vehicle on an online surplus marketplace (GovDeals) would likely yield only $2,000–$3,000 and that donating it to another Virginia locality would serve the public interest since another county in the southern part of the Commonwealth has a need for an ambulance.

A resolution to surplus the vehicle and to donate it through the Virginia Fire Chiefs Association program was presented; supervisors moved, seconded and approved the resolution on a roll call vote. There was no discussion at the full board about which specific county would receive the ambulance; the presenter said he had not contacted the recipient locality pending board approval.

Ending: The board adopted the resolution calling the unit surplus and authorizing a donation to another Virginia locality via the Virginia Fire Chiefs Association; staff will coordinate the donation and related paperwork.