L-R: Ambulance Director Jeremy Peck, Assistant Director Pat Curl, Chris Gerling, Tonia Rebling, Travis Handy, Jordan Wright, Bret Carlson,

Sirens blared from the Washington County Ambulance Service station Friday to celebrate the newest member of its vehicle fleet.

Over a year since they switched from a private to county-owned agency, the service has purchased its first new ambulance which was presented by their safety committee Friday morning. The ambulance responded to its first calls on Thursday, and features several safety improvements to benefit staff and patients, such as patient compartment airbags and a five-point harness system that allows emergency medical technicians and paramedics to provide care and reach supplies while remaining safely and comfortably restrained. Paramedic-Field Supervisor Bret Carlson gives a glimpse into the truck’s new lighting system that’s on the cutting edge of technology, “It does what’s considered DVI – which is Dynamic Variable Intensity – so at nighttime it’ll recognize how much UV (ultraviolet) light is actually being emitted. And with that it’ll automatically dim the lights when we go into park or when we’re driving at night. When we’re on scene it’ll make the lights glow, so they mimic a halogen-type light to not cause passersby to be pretty much blinded by the light. It makes the scene safer for everybody.”

The truck features new blue and green graphics designed by paramedic Jordan Wright matching the service’s new uniform look. Paramedic Chris Gerling says it’s great to have a new ambulance that was devised from the staff’s specific needs to provide patient care, “It’s something that’s ours, it’s this service’s. What we were able to purchase from the previous owner and be able to use for the last 15-16 months is great, but to finally have a truck that is ours that we designed, had employee input on, it’s tremendous to be able to get that and put it in service.”

This truck is also their first with four-wheel drive, and a liquid spring system built on a 2021 Ford F550 Chassis for a smoother ride for patients. It also has an electric cot load feature that will save the staff from having to manually lift patients into the vehicle.