Lake County Gazette

At the March 28 meeting of the Libertyville village board, the board approved the  request from Fire Chief Michael Pakosta to purchase a new ambulance for the EMS fleet. 

The fire department has five ambulances in the fleet, including those in reserve. They each have a lifetime expectancy of 10 years, six of which are spent on the front lines and four years spent in reserves. Ambulance 462 is budgeted to be replaced in 2026 at the end of its life, however the department has received notice that the new wait time for the manufacture of an ambulance is 24-26 months.

“We've been down this road a few times over the last X number of years,” Trustee Peter Garrity said. “I think just while we're discussing this, we have limited choices. There's not a lot of options. And it makes all the sense in the world to be consistent in terms of equipping the vehicle ... across the board so our officers can  move around. So all that said, we have limited options. And going with (manufacturer) Foster is – even though their price has gone crazy – it is the most logical way and the most efficient and effective way for us to move forward.”

The council uploaded a livestream of its public meet to the village’s website.

Normal wait time for an ambulance order used to be around 12 months, so the village has to place an order soon if it wants to be able to retire Ambulance 462 when it originally planned to. 

The prices have also increased due to supply costs and inflation. The cost estimated in 2021 was $386,000, and the estimate received in November of 2022 was $457,000. The prices have only increased since then, with a latest price of $466,813. Board members urged submitting the order now to get an ambulance on time and to lock in at the latest price estimate.

“I think it's appropriate. If we wait, it's going to cost us more," Trustee Scott Adams said. "So, as long as we've got it budgeted, then I will pull the trigger on it now.” 

In other business, the board discussed an ordinance amending the liquor code to create a Class M Liquor License and increase the number of those licenses.

The council will meet again at 8 p.m. on Tuesday at the Village Hall at 118 West Cook Ave.