A $300,000 grant to the McCandless Franklin Park Ambulance Authority will offer financial support for a new ambulance that can cost almost $450,000, said Michael Wholihan, an emergency medical technician and financial coordinator for the authority.
The Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development awarded the grant.
“The news of the grant is very exciting for us. We will soon be starting the process of designing a unit and getting quotes from dealers, manufacturers. Once we get it ordered, we do not expect to receive the unit until late 2025 (or) early 2026,” said MFPAA Chief Chris Dell.
He said the authority budgets for an ambulance replacement annually.
“It’s the largest single item in our capital budget,” Dell said.
MFPAA has five ambulances in its fleet.
The cost to outfit an ambulance is significant. A power-load stretcher is an estimated $75,000, Wholihan said, and a cardiac monitor can range from $25,000 to $55,000. Overall, an ambulance can cost an estimated $300,000 to $450,000.
“Inflation has really been damaging,” said Wholihan.
MFPAA employs 38 full- and part-time emergency medical technicians and paramedics. The company holds two annual fundraisers, a subscription drive and a capital drive.
The authority follows required standards in keeping daily inventory on its ambulance equipment. There are 455 pieces to check on the ambulance twice a day, or basically each shift, Wholihan said.
Dell said a recent large order of personal protective equipment, which was largely funded by grants and donations from local residents, fulfilled a major need for the company.
“Aside from lots of miscellaneous items, our big-tickets items are the need for replacements of our squad vehicles. These are SUV-type vehicles that we use to respond to EMS calls,” Dell said.
The MFPAA, which has nonprofit 501(c)3 status, is financed through billing of medical services, grants, municipal contributions, annual membership subscriptions and donations, according to its website.
Natalie Beneviat is a Trib Total Media contributing writer.