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09/17/2019 01:00 PMOne of Chester’s two main ambulances is getting a much-needed renovation intended to make it better and safer.
According to Selectman and recently elected Chester Fire Department Fire Chief James Grzybowski, the refurbished vehicle will get a new cab and chassis, which should extend its useful life and will definitely make it more efficient and usable for in-town medical emergencies.
The 2004 vehicle, which will be fitted with emergency lights manufactured at Whelen Engineering, when it returns to Chester after being worked on in Pennsylvania by Siv Ambulance Incorporated, is expected to be back in action as of Oct. 15. It has been offline since the middle of June.
According to First Selectman Lauren Gister, the town has been putting money into the Capital Budget for this project for the past several years and the replacement of the cab and chassis of the ambulance was a planned project, the total cost of which is $130,000. According to Grzybowski, a brand-new ambulance would have cost the town upwards of $280,000.
“We take really, really good care of our town vehicles, whether they are ambulances, plows, or public works trucks. We do our best to extend the lives of these vehicles in a safe way, by keeping up on maintenance,” said Gister.
The second emergency ambulance in Chester is a 2014 model. The town is currently saving to replace that vehicle’s cab and chassis in another five years. Currently that ambulance is also out of service and Chester is using a loaned ambulance from the Town of Clinton.
The Chester Fire Department has a mutual aid agreements with departments in Clinton, Deep River, Essex, Haddam, Killingworth, Old Saybrook, Westbrook, and the South District station in Middletown.
Both of Chester’s ambulances will be back in service soon. According to Grzybowski, who has been with the fire department for more than 27 years and has served as the chief in the past, the plan is to rotate the first line usage of the vehicles on a monthly basis to help preserve the longevity of the vehicles into the future.
“The first responders are looking forward to getting both ambulances back in service and up and running again soon. In the meantime, we have ensured the safety of the town residents and we are grateful to the Town of Clinton for the use of the on-loan ambulance,” said Grzybowski.