It’s been a long road to get the new ambulance out on the streets.

In early 2022, City Council members initiated discussions about the need for additional staff and resources to meet the rising demand for emergency services, including the addition of a second ambulance to the Jamestown Fire Department. Adding ambulances was also broached by former Mayor Sam Teresi in 2019 as part of his Smart City Capital Investment Program.

Adding ambulances was partially in response to an increase in emergency calls, from 155 in 2013 to more than 1,200 in recent years. Council unanimously approved a resolution to hire additional firefighters, with the expectation that a follow-up resolution to purchase the second ambulance would soon follow. However, it was not until April 2023, nearly 11 months later, that the resolution for the ambulance was introduced. Council members then approved $250,000 in American Rescue Plan funding, with the goal of having the ambulance operational by the end of 2023.

Revenue for a half-year’s revenue from the second ambulance was included in this year’s budget, but delays receiving and then outfitting the ambulance kept it out of use until last week, when city officials announced the ambulance was ready for service.

The inside of Jamestown’s new ambulance is pictured.

“Bringing this second ambulance into service has been a long journey, and I thank everyone who helped us reach this milestone,” said Mayor Kimberly Ecklund in a news release. “Now fully operational, it allows us to handle emergency calls in-house, maximize the capabilities of the fully staffed Jamestown Fire Department, and generate additional revenue that will benefit the city in 2025 and beyond. This is a major step forward for both the safety and financial stability of Jamestown.”

The deployment of the second ambulance is projected to allow for faster, more efficient care for residents in critical situations. Increasing numbers of emergency calls have been an issue over the years, with city firefighters responding to calls when ALSTAR EMS, the city’s primary provider for EMS services, is unavailable. When ALSTAR and city firefighters were both unavailable, volunteer firefighters from surrounding towns and villages are called in under mutual aid agreements. Some volunteer departments struggled under the weight of their own EMS calls when the city needed additional help – one reason the city chose to add the second ambulance. The city also recently negotiated an agreement with the Busti Volunteer Fire Department that will allow Busti to receive reimbursement for ambulance responses in Jamestown and Jamestown to receive reimbursement if its ambulance responds to incidents in Busti. City officials are looking to enter into similar agreements with other surrounding towns and villages.

“This is a significant upgrade to our city’s emergency response capabilities,” siad Matt Coon, Jamestown deputy fire chief, a news release. “The second ambulance enables us to meet the needs of our residents more effectively, and we are grateful for the support and collaboration that made this possible.”

City officials are also hoping the new ambulance positively impacts the city’s budget by increasing EMS revenue to help support the city’s public safety budget.

“The addition of a second ambulance enhances our ability to respond to medical emergencies, benefiting both the citizens of Jamestown and our first responders,” said Tim Jackson, city police chief and public safety director, in a news release. “This long-awaited and much-needed addition to the Jamestown Fire Department represents a crucial investment in the safety and well-being of our community.”