Council asked to authorize ambulance purchase; state grant will fund DNA work on remains from Green Ridge Cemetery

Commissioner Cole asked the council to authorize the mayor to sign a contract with Gorman Emergency Vehicles for a demo ambulance to be purchased from capital funds and expected to be available in September. He said the ambulance was a demo unit and would be readily available.

Cole also described a grant from the New York State Division of Criminal Justice Services to fund genealogy and identification work on an exhumed body from Green Ridge Cemetery. "These remains have been found in the 1960s and with improved DNA, we hope we can identify the remains," he said, noting the grant will require the city to put costs out up-front and be reimbursed. He mentioned a possible additional item to upfit the ambulance with Stryker equipment, pending administrative review.

Why it matters: the ambulance purchase addresses public safety capital needs; the grant-funded genealogy work aims to identify remains found decades ago and uses specialized DNA resources paid through a state grant.