Leland Township Fire & Rescue celebrated as its a new customized ambulance arrived last week and is expected to be in service by the first week of March.
The lengthy process to acquire a new ambulance took months of planning as manufacturers were backlogged ever since COVID, according to Leland Township Fire & Rescue Chief Dan Besson.
“It was taking about a year (to get an ambulance before COVID) now it’s like three to four years,” he said. “We wanted one (custom) built with patient and paramedic safety in mind.”
Besson added that they needed an ambulance with long term durability after replacing an ambulance that had a 2012 chassis and 1996 box.
The new ambulance features a new Ford F-150 chassis.
Besson says ambulances last for 2-5 years before replacement. With Leland Township’s limited budget, the fire and rescue department widens that operational range because of the hefty costs.
The customized ambulance costs roughly $320,000. The price is based on the Ford Chassis with customized specifi cations.
The new ambulance will be able to support 3-4 personnel if needed.
Currently, two people man an ambulance at any given time at its Leland and Lake Leelanau stations, according to Besson. At least three people arrive on the scene of an ambulance emergency 80% of the time.
“We were looking for durability,” Besson said. “There was a lot of discussion from the township board to make sure we are getting the right ambulance. We appreciate the support of the community.”
Leland Fire & Rescue has three ambulances in its inventory. Leland Township will be adding another ambulance in 2025 that is already on pre-order.
Chase Schelling, Leland Township and Fire Rescue coordinator and lieutenant, is excited to add the new ambulance to the fleet.
“Everything was custom designed from exterior to interior, lighting, storage, for the needs of Leland township,” Schelling said. “This can handle the wide variety of conditions to work in ... Six months on regular road (conditions) and six months later we need this to perform in a blizzard and take these into a field or orchard.”
Schelling added that this ambulance has more space that will be most crucial during critical situations, avoiding multiple clinicians tripping over each other in an emergency.
