Problem Ambulance Breaks Down with Patient Inside

A South Shore Fire Depatment ambulance stopped running twice Friday night while responding to a call for a patient with chest pains.

According to a source inside SSFD, one of the 2005 model rigs was dispatched to a residence in Sturtevant about 8:30 p.m. Friday when the ambulance stopped running. The crew was able to get it started again and successfully picked up the patient.

Then, on the way to Wheaton Franciscan St. Mary's, it stopped running again. The crew called for a replacement - which was at the hospital finishing another call - but they got the engine started again and were able to deliver the patient to the emergency room.

"We did have some mechanical issues, but this was not a life-threatening call with lights and sirens," Lt. Bill Weisbrod confirmed. "We did get the unit back to Station 8 and now it is out of service."

Weisbrod confirmed the department's oldest ambulance - a 1998 model - is back in service while the 2005 vehicle gets repaired.

Retired Chief William Bouma, when he heard about this incident, told Patch SSFD had a five- and ten-year capital purchase plan that, had it been followed, would have averted the almost-crisis situation in which Mount Pleasant now finds itself.

"If (the Village Boad) followed our five- and 10-year CIP plan this would never have become an issue," he said.

South Shore fire officials were given the green light last week to seek bids for a new ambulance. A Mount Pleasant Village Board committee also directed the department to get pricing on two remounts. Remounting includes taking an existing ambulance box — the back portion where patients are typically loaded — and attaching it to a new chassis complete with all new mechanical and wiring. Where a new ambulance can run between $165,000 to $200,000, a remount is significantly less at about $100,000 or so.

A new ambulance has been an approved expense in the budgets of both Mount Pleasant and Sturtevant for the last three years. But, Sturtevant objects to a remount, which means Mount Pleasant would have to foot the bill itself or wait for a consensus, according to the terms of the consolidation agreement.

Interim Fire Chief Mark Pierce told committee members there have been four break downs so far this year, two of which occurred on the way to a call. With this incident, that number is now up to five breakdowns, three that happened on the way to calls.