PIERCETON - "It's like going from a Volkswagen to a Cadillac," said Chuck See, president of the Pierceton-Washington-Monroe Emergency Medical Services Association.

The volunteer group recently acquired a 1998 MedTech ambulance, upgrading from a 1986 model.

The new ambulance, a demonstration model, was purchased with a $10,000 Kosciusko County Foundation grant; contributions from Washington Township, which supplied two-thirds of the costs; and with money gathered through several fund-raising events which began in the spring sponsored by the EMTs, at a final cost of $77,200, including trade-in of the 12-year-old ambulance.

"The community and the township have always been supporting of emergency medical services," See said. "We're very proud of this vehicle."

The new rig holds the same amount of basic life support supplies as the "old" ambulance but there is one-and-a-half times more room in back.

"It's newer, it's fancier," See said. "We have a semi-automatic defibrillator and all electronic oxygen now."

So far this year the volunteers have surpassed last year's total ambulance runs - about 200. For an EMS association with 11 EMTs and five drivers, they're very busy.

"We need more EMTs. We have a few people putting in a lot of hours," said See.

The township reimburses basic class costs for four people a year.

The self-supporting 20-year-old organization serves the town of Pierceton and Washington and Monroe townships. Patients are transported to many health care facilities in the region and now they'll be transported in style. [[In-content Ad]]