Zanesville receives new squad
June 13, 2020
The Zanesville Fire Department recently received its new, state-of-the-art squad, Medic 1, which replaced its antiquated 1995 Horton ambulance.
Zanesville Mayor Don Mason said the arrival couldn’t be at a better time as the previous ambulance had been out of service for over three months.
According to Zanesville Fire Chief Jeff Bell, the city looked at numerous different options when seeking to replace the aged ambulance, but got lucky when Horton Emergency Vehicles reached out about an order which was canceled by another department five months into the eight-month build process.
The timing allowed the City to still have the ambulance customized for its individualized needs and requirements while saving local taxpayers money.
The vehicle features items such as a miniature refrigerator, which allows medications to be stored while out on runs, even for an extended period of time.
An advanced seatbelt system was also included in the build, which allows firefighters to stand up while doing chest compressions, and in the event of an accident, pulls the responder back safely into their seat.
“It’s very important to the fire department and to the community as a whole that we have a state-of-the-art medic vehicle so that we can protect people who need our services,” said Mason.
When an individual in Zanesville is having a medical emergency and they call 911, dispatchers check to see if Genesis Community Ambulance or Value Care Ambulance Service is available, if not, Medic 1 is dispatched.
In 2019, Medic 1 responded to over 350 service runs, a steep increase from the 233 calls ran in 2018.
When a call is received by the dispatch center, firefighters are sent to the location with their firetruck, often arriving before the private ambulance, providing life-saving services said Bell.
Firefighters with the Zanesville Fire Department all have either their EMT-basic certification or are licensed paramedics.
“A lot of these guys have years and years of training and experience. It’s a good group to have if you have a medical emergency,” said Bell.
For the year ending 2019, ZFD responded to over 2,700 first responder calls, often providing the critical time-sensitive care needed until a private ambulance could arrive.
