Harvard’s Fire and Rescue Departments are in the process of raising funds to purchase a new ambulance.
The departments have already recieved a $120,000 grant from the State of Nebraska, which they received in 2023, and still need about $150,000 left to make their goal.
They also received an additional $50,000 toward new equipment from the State of Nebraska. Thus far, Harvard F&R has purchased a power stair chair, to aid in getting patients out of basements or houses where their cots cannot fit; a 12-lead monitor, to better aid those experiencing heart-related symptoms; and a portable suction unit.
A new ambulance would replace their current 1989 unit (Unit 2), which they bought in that same year.
They do have a second ambulance (Unit 1), a 1999 unit they bought from Crete Fire and Rescue in 2009, which will become Unit 2.
Over the years, the call volume for the ambulance has increased, with more than 100 calls coming in throughout 2023.
The need for an ambulance ranges from medical calls and car accidents, to fires and sporting events, locally and on mutual aid calls.
Also, the unit is old and is showing it’s age. The new ambulance will include more space, storage, and new safety harnesses to keep responders safer while they care for patients.
“It’s been a good ambulance, but it’s passed it’s prime,” Harvard Fire Chief Clint Schwenk said about Unit 2.
The old unit will be sold once the department receives the new ambulance.
A payment has been placed on a 2023 Superline Ambulance, installed on a Ford F450 Chasis. The total cost of this ambulance is $316,392.
When they first put the order in for the new ambulance, Harvard F&R was given a ballpark delivery date of November 2025; however, that could change.
As the ambulance is on a Ford chasis, once the chasis is delivered to LifeLine in Iowa, which is assembling the amublance, they will build it and then Harvard F&R will be given a more exact date of delivery.
Once assembled, the amublance will be taken to After Hours Grafix in Aurora where the decal will be put on—which is included in the cost—and then delivered to Harvard.
The unit will come with a Stryker Cot Power Load System, which adds an extra line of safety for responders by helping to support the cot while loading and unloading, as well as minimizing patient drop risks and reducing spinal and other back problems to responders.
The updated features and more space for easier access to equipment when helping a paitent is what Schwenk said he was most excited about.
In order to obtain ownership of the ambulance, the total balance must be paid off.
To donate toward their cause, money and checks may be sent to either Harvard Fire and Rescue, P.O. Box 26, or through the Harvard Community Foundation, P.O. Box 119, Harvard, NE 68944. Money donated through the Foundation is tax deductible.
