Cranberry EMS Adds Ambulance to Fleet

After months of research to find the right vehicle, has added a new ambulance to its fleet.

Salesman Bill Lacey of Pfund Superior Services delivered the 2009 Wheeled Coach to the ambulance company Wednesday morning. 

The truck is the fourth ambulance in the fleet and will allow the company to pull an older ambulance from the road. That 13-year-old ambulance, which has more than 200,000 miles, still will be used but not as often, said Cranberry EMS director Jeff Kelly.

“This is an addition,” he said. “We’re not replacing anything right now.”

The new ambulance will lessen vehicle maintenance costs for the company, Kelly said. With another vehicle in rotation, Cranberry EMS also won’t have to worry about losing operations on the road when one of the vehicles is out of commission for maintenance or repairs.

Kelly said the company, which is self-funded, took out a loan through PNC Bank to finance the $120,000 box-style ambulance. The company also is looking at state loans offered at a low interest rate to help subsidize the new addition.

The ambulance is one of the first to feature the new Cranberry EMS design, which reflects the official logo. Kelly said the new design eventually will be added to all the EMS vehicles.

The new ambulance has LED instead of florescent light and other safety features, including a “man catcher” net to help prevent those inside the ambulance from falling sideways during starts and stops. Deputy director Ted Fessides said typically there is a metal bar instead of the soft net inside the new vehicle.

The ambulance has a five to seven year life expectancy, Kelly said. Cranberry EMS is putting in place a strategic plan for vehicle turnovers. Kelly said he hopes to replace the 13-year-old ambulance within one to two years. 

Once the state approves its license, the ambulance should be ready to hit the road in two weeks, Fessides said.