By Richard Dyer
Mail | Twitter: @RHDyer

Paying $354,050 in a capital lease to replace one of its ambulances for the Superstition Fire and Medical District was recently approved by the SFMD board of directors.

The board voted unanimously on April 20 to approve a commitment to purchase through a capital lease one 2023 Horton 623 Ambulance with power loader and cot.

The fire district’s ambulances were delivered in 2015, Transportation Services Director Billy Warren said at the meeting.

“We’re at that time where now it’s time to set up a replacement plan, especially considering supply-chain issues,” he said. “Our plan — with your approval — would be to commit to a new ambulance on July 1, 2022. They’re currently about an 18-month build-out for those; a lot of that time is just waiting for the chassis.”

The ambulance would be delivered in January 2024, he said.

A five-year plan would allow for the replacement of the district’s five front-line ambulances while having the least impact on the budget, Warren and SFMD Fire Chief John Whitney said in a memo to the Governing Board.

$354K ambulance

The ambulance will be on a 2023 Ford F-450 4X2 diesel chassis, according to a proposal by Chad Barrett of Professional Sales & Service LC.

The cost to the district is:

• $289,750 for the ambulance;
• $7,850 for the Ford extra care extended warranty;
• $25,500 for a Stryker Power Load, a loading system;
• $26,500 for a Stryker Power Pro 2, a powered ambulance stretcher; and
• $4,450 for shipping.

5 fire stations

Superstition Fire and Medical District provides fire suppression, fire prevention, wildland protection, advanced life support, rescue, extrication and medical transportation services out of five fire stations in Apache Junction and Gold Canyon.

Under the SFMD governing board’s direction, the district has a budget of $23.7 million through four divisions: emergency services operations, which includes transport; planning and logistics; administrative services; and financial services.

SFMD Board meetings are generally held at 5:30 p.m. the third Wednesday of the month at the SFMD Administrative Office, 565 N. Idaho Road in Apache Junction. Anyone can listen by phone. The meeting call-in number is 480-646-1864 and the access pin code is 1234. Agendas are at sfmd.az.gov.

Richard Dyer
Managing Editor | East Valley
@RHDyer

rdyer@iniusa.org

Meet Richard
Richard Dyer has worked at Independent Newsmedia Inc. USA since 1987, starting his career in Apache Junction as a copy editor and being promoted over the years to work as the editor of the Mesa Independent, news services editor for the East Valley office in Apache Junction, managing editor for the East Valley office, news services editor for the East Valley office and eventually also for the newspapers at INI’s then-Chandler office, managing editor again and as a news editor covering Apache Junction/Gold Canyon and Queen Creek. He helped start the Florence Independent while the news editor covering Apache Junction and Mesa news. In January 2023, he became associate managing editor for the East Valley newspapers and in August 2023 became managing editor for the East Valley newspapers of Chandler/Tempe, Gilbert, Queen Creek, Florence, Mesa and Apache Junction/Gold Canyon, while also reporting on Mesa and Apache Junction/Gold Canyon.  

Community: Since 2009, he has worked as a volunteer to design The Blue Guitar Magazine, Blue Guitar Jr. magazine and Unstrung magazine, which are projects of The Arizona Consortium for the Arts; and since 2014, has been overseeing the art submissions. 

Education: University of Arizona with a master of arts in journalism and a bachelor of science in agricultural communication. Also continuing education at Mesa Community College in welding in a metal art sculpture class.

Random fact: Saw his first tornado on May 31, 2010, which was classified as an EF-2, as part of a stormchasing tour group.

Hobbies: He is an artist of welded-steel sculptures, selling his artwork at juried and non-juried art shows.