WESTON—Weston Emergency Medical Services has taken delivery of its new squad, a four-wheel-drive Ford 550 truck-style ambulance, the department announced August 26. Crews still need to apply graphics and move equipment over before the vehicle goes into service, and a dedication ceremony will be announced, Weston EMS said.
New Squad Arrives
In a Facebook post, Weston EMS said it chose a truck-style unit with four-wheel drive on the advice of its mechanics, and thanked everyone who worked to obtain it. The department did not give a date for the vehicle to enter service.
Village Council cleared the way for the purchase on July 6, when it passed Ordinance 2026-8 as an emergency. The ordinance provides the supplemental 2026 appropriations needed to buy the ambulance, and it passed 5–0 (July 6 coverage). The Public Safety Committee reported in June that the Village was setting up purchase orders to move the power lift system and radio equipment from the old ambulance and to letter the new one.
At Council’s September 8 meeting, Councilmember Erica Rupp reported for Public Safety that the ambulance was expected by August 25, that quotes were still needed for lettering and other items, and that training on the MARCS system would be scheduled for all personnel (September 8 coverage). The minutes also note that radios had been transferred and that lettering quotes, including the cost of a chevron stripe, were still being worked out.
Old Ambulance 915 to Be Sold
The Village plans to sell the current unit, Ambulance 915, through the GovDeals online auction once the replacement is in service. Council held a first reading of a sale resolution on June 1 (June 1 coverage), and on July 6 it adopted Resolution 2026-6, which authorizes selling surplus Village property, including maintenance equipment and surplus EMS inventory, through GovDeals. The Public Safety Committee noted in July that photos of Ambulance 915 would be taken for the listing.
New EMT and Safety Building Work
The squad is also adding people. On September 4, Weston EMS announced that Julia Schroeder had passed the National Registry EMT exam and will soon be registered with the state. Earlier this year, in May, the department congratulated Allyson Selders on passing the National Registry exam for Advanced EMT certification.
Weston EMS describes itself as a small, all-volunteer village unit that averages about 380 responses a year. In an April post, it said it had logged 113 responses by the start of April, compared with 114 through the end of April the year before.
The department’s home base has also seen work. Weston EMS reported on July 1 that crews installed a new driveway and parking lot at the Safety Building during some of the hottest days of the year.
Sources: Weston EMS on Facebook (new squad) · Weston EMS on Facebook (Safety Building) · Weston EMS Facebook page (Sept. 4, May and April posts) · July 6 council minutes · Sept. 8 council minutes