Kenai Fire Department puts new ambulances into service

Outside of Kenai’s Public Safety Building on Saturday, Kenai Fire Department staff and other attendees gathered to push a pair of new ambulances into the garage. The ceremonial dedication of new equipment, Chief Jay Teague said, dates to a time of horse-drawn fire engines.

“It has stayed in the fire service,” Teague said. “Every time we purchase or receive a new rig, before it is put into active duty service, it is pushed by the firefighters and the community back into the firehouse.”

Though the dedication ceremony was the final step before the ambulances could be stocked up and seen onto the roads, Teague said the path to putting the ambulances into action began years before. The project was stewarded over years by former Deputy Chief Mark Anderson, then former Chief Tony Prior, most recently by Deputy Chief John Harris.

When the fire department started to look at replacing an ambulance, Harris said, there was a major shortage of chassis. The department projected then that by the time a new ambulance could be acquired, its other ambulance would also be nearing the end of its service life. He said that ambulances are used for 80% of the department’s calls, and “it’s just gotten busier and busier.”

“We drive these into the ground,” Harris said. “Our ambulances see a lot of work.”

To purchase a new ambulance, Harris said, the department has to “spec out” the trucks. That means starting with a base model and then modifying it to meet the specific needs of the department.

The two ambulances were manufactured in Chehalis, Washington. Harris said that when he traveled down to inspect the constructed vehicles, he was joined by Prior, who by then had already left Kenai Fire.

The new ambulances have liquid suspension, can power load a gurney and have advanced storage for controlled medications, among other features. They also have several enhancements designed for use in Alaska winters, like an upgraded heater and an exterior design that discourages buildup of snow and ice.

Those features, and even smaller changes like where equipment sits within the vehicle, all are specific to Kenai’s needs. Looking at the vehicles that are about to go into service, Harris said he could see direct responses to the department’s needs and wants.

“It all leads to better patient care,” Harris said.

On Saturday, attendees received tours of the new vehicles, then joined department staff in pushing the vehicles into waiting garage bays.

The vehicles will hit local roads “anytime now.” They’re waiting only on being stocked with gear and affixed with license plates.

For more information, find “City of Kenai Fire Department” on Facebook.

Reach reporter Jake Dye at jacob.dye@peninsulaclarion.com.