Reno County EMS chief seeks to reconfigure ambulance purchases to save roughly $18,000 this year; commissioners favor 4WD in next budget

Dave Johnston, Reno County EMS chief, asked the commission to approve changes to this year’s capital purchases for ambulances, saying the department can save money by buying a standard two‑wheel‑drive chassis now and remounting an existing patient‑compartment box after addressing electrical issues.

Johnston told commissioners the remount was originally budgeted at about $118,000 but the vendor quote rose to roughly $120,000–$125,000 due to electrical repairs inside the box. He said a new four‑wheel‑drive ambulance had been budgeted at about $220,000; a comparable new two‑wheel‑drive unit is estimated at $190,000–$195,000. Even after the increased remount cost, Johnston estimated the proposed change would produce about $18,000 in capital savings this year.

Commissioner Hurst and the chair expressed concern about storage and the operational need for a 4WD ambulance in some parts of the county, but both supported the staff recommendation to proceed now to restore ambulances to service and to include a 4WD ambulance as a top priority in next year’s five‑year fleet plan.

Johnston said he is working with the county administrator and local partners to standardize the fleet and present a recommendation to the commission. No formal capital purchase vote was recorded at this meeting; commissioners directed staff to return with recommendations and next steps.