By Seth Stapleton
For the Advertiser
SEBEWAING — Not that they would ever want to see it in an emergency situation, but residents in the Sebewaing Township Ambulance Service area can feel a little safer knowing the service recently updated its primary ambulance.
The 2013 PL Custom Medallion rig with a Chevy chassis was put into operation on Dec. 26, 2013. It has a Duramax diesel engine and Allison transmission for better fuel economy.
According to Sebewaing Township Ambulance Service Coordinator Christy Mularz, the new vehicle will replace a 2003 rig, and come with many new features. Some of which include: a severe climate insulation package for better warmth and a quieter ride, custom cabinet configurations that allow for easier access for equipment, additional exterior storage, a built-in child seat to keep younger passengers safely secured, a rear bumper configuration that allows for easier loading of patients, and an oxygen tank lift that makes it easier to load and secure the tank.
“The new rig will be more reliable and require less maintenance than the older ones,” Mularz said. “Also, due to increasing state requirements, new inventions for equipment, and the fact that we serve a rural area, our older rig was stacked full of equipment in limited cupboard and cabinet space.
“The new rig’s expanded storage areas allows us to carry the equipment we need in an organized fashion, helping us provide more efficient medical care by quick and easy access to our equipment, along with extra area to add future equipment.”
Purchased out of funds from the emergency services sinking fund millage, which provides for new vehicles for the ambulance service and fire department, the new ambulance replaced a vehicle that was 18 years old and served as a former backup rig.
“This rig, with all its new technology upgrades, safety features and warranties, will help to serve our community better,” Mularz said.
The Sebewaing Township Ambulance Service provides basic life-support services to Sebewaing, Fairhaven and Brookfield townships with a crew of 14 volunteers, who respond to the hall when an emergency occurs. The service went on more than 300 runs last year.