By Cecilia Nasmith

The three ambulances pre-approved in Northumberland County's 2022 budget will cost $22,780.38 more than anticipated.

Paramedics Chief Susan Brown delivered the news to county council's Community Health Standing Committee at its February meeting, explaining the chain of events that made the difference.

The purchase approvals were made in accordance with the established schedule for replacements, and orders were placed. However, the Ford company notified them that the 2022 chassis line had been shut down and they would be using 2023 chassis for all remaining orders. For three ambulances, this means $1,780.38 more in costs

Ford also notified them that the normal cost savings they realize on pre-placing orders for the Ford chassis would only be $5,000 instead of the $8,350 of recent years – effectively costing the county $9,750 more for three ambulances.

More unfortunate news is the timeline for delivery. The six-to-eight-month time frame is now 10 to 12 months. At this time, Brown said, they are told they can expect to get one ambulance in June and two in September – when they typically can count on getting new replacements in March.

In light of the changes, Brown had several requests.

One was to dip into the Paramedic Reserve fund to offset the increased costs.

Another was to support their addition of health-and-safety features to the ambulances that have been ordered to reflect some things they have learned during the COVID-19 pandemic. These include an enhanced ventilation system and heated exterior mirrors, as well as an intercom for communications between the driver in front and the emergency-service workers in back.

All workers in the ambulance are wearing masks, Brown explained, and vital information conveyed from back to front – in many cases, information that must be radioed ahead to a hospital – can be better conveyed with an intercom. And it ensures that any separation barriers in place for health-and-safety purposes do not impede these communications.

A third request came from Brown's concern over delivery timelines and the fact that two more ambulances are due for replacement next year. She is calling on council for pre-approval now – instead of in August, as is customary – to proceed on these replacements.

Brown reminded the committee that the impact will be cushioned by the 50% reimbursement available through the province, but wondered if the pre-approval might include a 10% buffer in view of continuing uncertainties in the supply chain and the consumer price index.

Committee chair Gail Latchford expressed the hope that an early order would lock in lower prices. But citing their communications with Ford, Brown said there were no guarantees on that score.

Port Hope Mayor Bob Sanderson – not a committee member, but sitting in on the meeting – had a modest proposal that perhaps the county should buy a half-dozen extra ambulances and sell them for profit a year or so down the line.

“This is indicative of what we are going to see across the board,” Sanderson stated.

“I really think perhaps we should potentially do an overview of our capital expenditures on that kind of thing just to see what to expect.”

In the end, the committee voted to tap the reserve fund to offset the increased costs and to recommend that county council – at its Feb. 16 meeting – grant pre-approval for two ambulances to be ordered for the 2023 budget.