Town approves new ambulance purchase

By Jim Krencik
The Journal-Register

MEDINA, N.Y. — The Medina Fire Department’s ambulance fleet will rapidly modernize due to a purchase authorized by the village board Monday.

The board unanimously approved a $118,760 bid for a model year 2013 ambulance from Gorman Emergency Vehicles of Elma, which offered a $12,000 trade-in for the MFD’s 1996 ambulance.

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With the trade-in, the $106,760 replacement cost is below the village’s $120,000 bond issuance and far below the cost of the village’s most recent ambulance purchases, a pair of 2009 ambulances. The fire department also has a 2007 ambulance.

“Our last new (ambulance) was almost $140,000,” Fire Chief Todd Zinkievich said. “This is a middle-of-the-line vehicle, but it will last just as long (as the other models).”

Zinkievich said he would like to use the remaining bond funds to beging a replacement cycle for the department’s four power stretcher cots, which are all at least five years old.

“One has broken down and will have to replace it in the near future,” Zinkievich, who received an estimate at $14,000 for a new cot from Gorman, explained to the board.

In other MFD-related action, the board accepted the resignation of Jeffrey Elsenheimer retroactive to Aug. 31. Mayor Andrew Meier said the board’s resolution did not address other requests made by Elsenheimer, which the board has yet to settle.

Elsenheimer was charged in August with eight felonies and three misdemeanors stemming from an alleged sexual relationship with a minor.

A career fire fighter has not yet been hired to replace Elsenheimer, leaving the department one man short. MFD was two men short following Elsenheimer’s suspension, but that gap shrunk earlier this month when newly hired fire fighter Steve Miller graduated from the training academy.

The board also approved adding James Volkosh, a former career firefighter who later served as Niagara County’s fire coordinator, as a call fire fighter. Zinkievich said that Volkosh, who lives in Jeddo, would be a great asset to the department due to his training experience.

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