On March 19th at 5:22 a.m., one of the paid Macedon Town ambulance drivers fell asleep at the wheel, hitting a utility pole. There were no passengers on-board and the driver was uninjured.
The crash proved fatal, however, for the ambulance rig. On Thursday (3/29), Macedon Ambulance Director, Paul Harkness received the news, the expensive ambulance was considered totaled by the insurance adjusters.
Unlike ordinary vehicles, ambulance rigs fall under the scrutiny of the State Department of Health. If the “box”, the back portion of the ambulance mounted on the chassis is damaged in any way, repairs can outweigh buying a whole new rig.
Now down to one rig, the busy, professional 24/7 Macedon Town Ambulance Service must rely on mutual aid from adjoining ambulance services.
Now what?
According to Harkness the Ambulance Service and Town are in the process to evaluate the situation, now that the damaged rig is considered a total loss. “Since this is an emergency there may be other opportunities,” said Paul. He expects an emergency meeting of the Town Board, where a decision may be made to forego the usual bid requirements and purchase a new ambulance from North East Rescue Vehicles in Syracuse, where prior Macedon purchase have been made.
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