Backup Ambulance Purchase Unlikely

Sandpoint City Council members are reluctant to purchase an ambulance for the Fire Department, despite a request from the new ambulance service in town.

In a subcommittee meeting this week, Mayor Paul Graves presented a letter from Big Sky Ambulance requesting that the city follow through with a vote to purchase a backup ambulance.

The council’s Oct. 20 vote to buy an ambulance came prior to Big Sky Ambulance purchasing Sandpoint Ambulance, however. The previous ambulance service usually only had one ambulance available, but Big Sky Ambulance always has two teams of paramedics on duty.

The city administration decided not to buy an ambulance after the new firm came to town.

“Their concern was that a number of their calls were long-distance transport and it would occasionally leave one ambulance here,” Graves said. “They wanted us to get a backup to make sure there was adequate coverage in town.”

The city’s administrative subcommittee declined to make that recommendation to the full City Council, however.