Fire, EMS may share Flat Creek hall

Flat Creek Volunteer Fire Department, which is outgrowing its current fire hall, wants to build on to the Bedford County Emergency Medical Services first responder hall in Flat Creek and share it with BCEMS.

The proposal was considered Tuesday night by the BCEMS board, which approved an informal agreement and will send it to attorneys to draw up a more formal contract.

The BCEMS hall in Flat Creek is not normally staffed by employees. Rather, it is a base for first responders, trained volunteers who provide first aid while waiting for an ambulance to arrive. The existing hall has two vehicle bays, only one of which is being used by BCEMS for a first responder vehicle.

Under the proposal, Flat Creek VFD would build a new hall next to the BCEMS facility, connected to it by a covered walkway. The fire department would also be given the use of the empty bay in the BCEMS hall and would be able to use the day room and bedroom areas. Flat Creek VFD would take care of all utilities and maintenance for the entire facility and grounds.

If BCEMS decides in the future to place an ambulance crew in Flat Creek, it would retain the right to reclaim the use of its original building. In that case, the fire department would use only its end of the building and BCEMS and Flat Creek VFD would share the cost of utilities and maintenance.

In other discussion Tuesday night, the BCEMS board voted to purchase a new ambulance from Select Tech in Shelbyville, even though Select Tech was not the low bidder.

Select Tech's price for a McCoy/Miller ambulance was $89,912. The other bidder, Taylor Made Ambulances of Newport, Ark., offered an ambulance for $86,125, but BCEMS officials say that vehicle did not meet all specs. A third company, Braun Industries, submitted a "no bid" letter.

As it has done on other occasions in the past, the board cited the convenience of having Select Tech nearby. A minor problem, such as a door latch, can be easily fixed without taking the unit out of town to a service center. The Taylor Made ambulance would have to be serviced in Arkansas or in Winder, Ga., which is near Atlanta. BCEMS Director Chad Graham said that if service were only available out of town, BCEMS would probably ignore minor problems until there were enough of them to justify a service trip.

An ambulance "box" can last for up to 15 years, being re-mounted to a different truck chassis from time to time as the chassis wears out from heavy use.

Graham said Select Tech has the ambulance in stock and could have it ready for service within two weeks, while the Taylor Made ambulance would take 60 to 90 days to build, possibly more due to a supply problem with the truck chassis.

Board members said the local ambulance was the best bid, even though it was not the low bid, and voted to buy from Select Tech.