At the July board meeting of the Richland Center Fire Department Chief Bindl reported on a used ambulance that members of the department had found on a state municipal auction website. The ambulance was a modular box style on an International chassis and was being sold by the Mount Horeb Wisconsin Fire and EMS Department as they had replaced the unit with different one. This ambulance was proposed as a replacement to the Richland Center Fire Departments unit number 715, a ¾ ton Ford van that is used as a backup rescue unit responding to mutual aid calls, and to traffic accidents for traffic control. The Ford van has limited equipment space and the Firefighters and equipment ride together in the cargo area posing a safety hazard in case of an accident. The ambulance style body would allow equipment to be stored in cabinets on the outside of the vehicle away from the passengers. The board liked the idea of this type of unit and allowed the fire department to bid on the truck. We were happy to have the winning bid and took delivery of the unit at the end of July. Members of the department spent time to remove the old graphics from the prior owner and apply RCFD graphics, Walter’s Auto Body fixed up some minor corrosion issues on the body. Cot hardware was removed from the floor from the unit’s old ambulance days and air pack seats will be added on the interior of the body. It was decided to leave the unit black in color as the prior owners had.
The members of the Richland Center Fire Department are proud to have this unit in our fleet for a fraction of the cost if we had gone out to buy a new unit of this style. The Fire Board has decided to donate the old unit 715 to the Western Richland County First Responders, as a response vehicle for them. We had outgrown the van but know it will serve the first responders well. We wish to thank our Board of Directors for their support on this project. Funds from our annual Firefighters Dance will be invested into this unit to purchase a generator and flood lighting for nighttime use.
Take a look at the new RCFD Squad 715 here.
