Colfax accepts bid of $328,489 for new ambulance
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By LeAnn R. Ralph
COLFAX — The Colfax Village Board has accepted a bid of $328,489, less $10,000 trade-in, for a new ambulance from Demers Ambulances at a final cost of $318,489.
Don Knutson, director of the Colfax Rescue Squad, sent out five bid requests for a new ambulance and received three bids back, the Colfax Village Board learned at the November 14 meeting.
In addition to the bid from Demers, Knutson received a bid of $327,362.76 from Osage Ambulances, less $19,000 for the trade-in, for a cost of $308,362.76.
Braun Ambulances also provided a price, but the specifications do not align with the request for proposals that Knutson had provided, so the comparison with Braun was not included in the consideration.
Because of the volatility in chassis, any changes in the price of the chassis will be passed onto the Village of Colfax, Knutson said.
The estimates included the cost of a diesel engine.
Maintenance and fuel costs are usually less with a gasoline engine than with a diesel engine, according to the discussion among village board members and others present at the meeting.
The Colfax Village Board unanimously approved accepting the bid from Demers Ambulances for a gasoline engine.
Voting in favor of the motion were Jody Albricht, village president, and village trustees Margaret Burcham, Anne Jenson, Jeff Prince and Gary Stene.
Village trustees Carey Davis and Jen Rud were absent from the meeting.
EMS Flex grant
The village board approved putting a $105,915 EMS Flex grant from the state of Wisconsin toward a new ambulance at the October 3 meeting.
In addition to the nearly $106,000 from the grant, the Colfax Rescue Squad has $45,000 in the 2022 equipment budget and a $50,000 fund balance from last year, for a total of little more than $200,000 toward the cost of the ambulance.
Money for the EMS Flex grants came from federal money that Wisconsin received.
Knutson had initially applied for $238,000 in grant money.
Wisconsin officials decided to fund each of the requests at 40 percent so that all of the ambulance services that applied would receive some money.
The grant will come in two payments, and Colfax must spend the first part of the grant in order to get the second part, Knutson said at the October meeting.
With the first half of the grant, the Colfax Rescue Squad can put money toward the chassis so that the order is in and set, he said.
Knutson had received information from other agencies that have ordered a new ambulance recently, and the price was between $310,000 and $315,000.
The manufacturers are saying 12 to 24 months from the date of ordering the ambulance until the new ambulance is delivered, Knutson told the village board in October.
Colfax has also received another state EMS grant for $24,390, and that money can be used for the power cot that will go into the new ambulance.
The additional money for the cost of the ambulance, approximately $95,000, could come from interim borrowing from the village’s general fund, and the Colfax Rescue Squad will, over time, reimburse the village’s general fund out of the rescue squad budget.
The original plan was to replace the ambulance two years ago in 2019.
Since there is a two-year waiting time for a new ambulance, if the Colfax Rescue Squad waits another two years to build up more money in the equipment fund before ordering an ambulance, then it would be four years before the village has a new ambulance.
The ambulance that will be replaced has a 2011 chassis. The box was new in 2005.
Ambulance agreement
At a previous meeting, the Colfax Village Board had approved placing the Colfax Rescue Squad’s second ambulance in Elk Mound.
Colfax does not have enough EMTs on the roster to staff a second ambulance, and there are reportedly people in the Elk Mound area who would be willing to be EMTs for Colfax’s second ambulance.
Keeping an ambulance in Elk Mound also is expected to improve ambulance service for people living in the Elk Mound area.
The ambulance would be stored in the Elk Mound Community Fire District’s garage.
Lynn Niggemann, village administrator-clerk-treasurer, said she and the village’s attorney have made modifications to the initially proposed agreement, and the Elk Mound Community Fire District board has made some modifications to the agreement.
If the village board is willing to approve the agreement, it can be sent off to the Elk Mound fire department for final review and approval, she said.
The Colfax Village Board unanimously approved the lease agreement for storing Colfax’s second ambulance at the Elk Mound fire department garage during the November 14 meeting.
Particulars
According to the agreement, the annual rent for the lease agreement is $1, and the lease agreement is in effect for one year and will automatically renew each year unless the Village of Colfax or the Elk Mound Community Fire District notifies the other party three months before the automatic renewal that the lease agreement is being terminated.
Colfax Rescue Squad personnel only will operate the Colfax Rescue Squad ambulance and will not operate any fire apparatus unless they are employed by both the Colfax Rescue Squad and the Elk Mound Community Fire District.
The Elk Mound fire district will be allowed to operate the Colfax Rescue Squad ambulance when the fire district is acting on behalf of the Colfax Rescue Squad or when there is a need for the Elk Mound fire district to operate the ambulance for daily duties and functions at the fire station or when there is a mutual aid situation as is outlined in the Mutual Aid Box Alarm System during emergencies.
Access to the Elk Mound fire station will be through the code access door, and the Colfax Rescue Squad will provide to the Elk Mound fire chief a list of the Colfax Rescue Squad employees who will have access to the code access door, according to the lease agreement.