East Poweshiek Ambulance Service takes deliver of new response vehicle, plan to add new ambulance to fleet

     The East Poweshiek County Ambulance Service recently took deliver of a new emergency response vehicle and will soon be adding a new ambulance to the department fleet thanks to ARPA (American Rescue Plan Act) funding through the Poweshiek County Board of Supervisors. The Tahoe will be used for every day responses to move emergency providers to where they need to be. The Tahoe’s primary role will be as a paramedic response vehicle. The new ambulance, once it arrives, will replace a rig that is 20-years-old.

​By J.O. Parker

     The East Poweshiek Ambulance Service has taken delivery of a new response vehicle and soon will be adding a new ambulance to the department fleet thanks to ARPA (American Rescue Plan Act) funding through the Poweshiek County Board of Supervisors.
      The much-needed ambulance, which is slated for delivery in the near future, will replace a rig that is 20-years-old.
      “It was a must but without the funding it would have had to wait a few more years,” said Traci Smith with the EPAS.
      The Tahoe is an exciting new response vehicle that will be used in a couple different ways. It can be used for every day responses to move emergency providers to where they need to be. The Tahoe’s primary role will be as a paramedic response vehicle.
      Smith said Brooklyn, Grinnell and Montezuma were each given $300,000 to be used on EMS projects that tied to COVID-19. 
     “Improving response to emergencies was our goal with our funding by updating our ambulance and adding the Tahoe,” Smith said.
        Currently the East Poweshiek Ambulance is the only service with paramedics in the county.
       “EPAS wants to be able to assist other EMS agencies when able,” noted Smith. “When a patient needs a higher level of care than an ambulance service can provide, they can call for this unit to come meet them. This practice is called tiering and something that was quite common when we did have a full-time paramedic service in the county.”
      The new Tahoe has been named Medic 1 and will be available to respond from Brooklyn or Grinnell depending on availability.
      “One of our paramedics lives in Grinnell and when available will have Medic 1 there to be better positioned to respond to needs within the county,” Smith stated. “We have been working with the other EMS agencies within the county to arrange for the use of Medic 1 and hope we can provide service to whoever wants/needs it.”
          It should be noted that this service currently is not available 24/7.
         “Staffing of this vehicle is currently voluntary for our paramedics but we still feel Medic 1 will be an asset when it is available,” added Smith. “We are looking forward to providing this service.”