Victoria City Council members are scheduled on Monday to approve the purchase of a replacement for an ambulance that drove into a pond in May.
City Manager Jesús Garza said it was a replacement for the lost truck. At Monday’s meeting, the council is expected to approve the ambulance’s purchase.
Before the ambulance can be cleared for use, it must be equipped with the same medical equipment as the one submerged when a Chevrolet Traverse failed to yield to the ambulance, which was carrying an EMT, paramedic and paramedic trainee at the time, Victoria Fire Chief Tracy Fox said.
A Victoria Fire Department ambulance is extracted after being submerged after a collision in May. The Victoria City Council allocated funds to replace the totaled ambulance during a Tuesday meeting.
The Victoria Fire Department approved the purchase of a 2022 International CV515 Diesel Type 1 Frazer-built ambulance from Southwest International Trucks Inc. of Dallas, for $312,468. Because the fire department maintains a fleet of eight ambulances, the purchase will allow the department to meet daily demands for service and provide a reserve for maintenance and repairs, officials said.
Texas Department of Safety Highway Patrol Trooper Rob Mallory looks at the front end of the retrieved ambulance in May along the side of North Main Street.
Victoria City Council members had already approved using $112,000 from the general fund to replace the medical equipment, hardware and clothing destroyed when the truck went into the water.
A long-time journalist, George likes 60s musclecars and firearms.
