LAUREL — Laurel Emergency Medical Services is one step closer to getting a much-needed new ambulance, thanks to strong support from the local community.
With the price of a new ambulance soaring upwards of $350,000, the community is working together to help offset costs and ensure continued reliable emergency care.
Right now, Laurel has three ambulances built in 2017, 2004, and 1999.
“It's really tough to make sure we get to all the calls we need to get to if we don't have a good, safe, reliable ambulance,” said Laurel EMS Chief Lyndy Gurchiek.
Watch Laurel community members talk about their donations to the new ambulance:
When word spread that Laurel EMS was raising money for a new ambulance, local residents and organizations stepped up to help.
Among the donors is the local Jersey Mike’s franchise. John Bragner, the franchisee owner, emphasized the challenge small towns face in maintaining essential services.
“A small city with a small tax base, it's hard to come up with that money. So we need ambulances, we need medical services for our residents, and as we're growing the community has just been amazing and donating money and we'd like to tap into that,” Bragner said.
The Iron Warriors Motorcycle Club also contributed, with club president Rob Lehm highlighting the connection between the club and first responders.
“We donated $5,000 to help purchase a new ambulance,” Lehm said. “We do it because we are all law enforcement firefighters, some active, some retired. And it's just to help the community and help out who we consider brothers and sisters in our fields.”
Gurchiek explained just how urgently the new ambulance is needed, sharing that two of their current ambulances are nearly two decades old.
“They have huge mechanical issues. We're having a hard time keeping them running. They break down often. It's very expensive and hard to find parts for them at this point,” Gurchiek said.
Laurel EMS averages about three calls a day, and Gurchiek emphasized the importance of dependable equipment.
“We want to be able to get them from Laurel to the hospital safely and quickly when needed. We want to keep our crews safe,” Gurchiek said.
The department hopes to purchase a four-wheel-drive ambulance to better serve the community.
“(A) brand-new ambulance will help us get people to the hospital quickly, safely, efficiently, and hopefully help us save money in the long run, where we're not trying to piece together parts to keep these old ones running,” Gurchiek said.
