Buying local to replace an aging ambulance has provided big savings for an Arizona fire department.
Yuma Fire Chief Steve Irr discovered a new unit typically costs $210,000. But Irr and Fleet Manager Floyd Friar instead elected to save the city of Yuma about $70,000 by buying a new chassis from an auto dealership and then paying other businesses to finish outfitting the vehicle, which includes a gurney to load patients. The new truck came from Alexander Ford, and the vendors who provided their expertise included Tom's Paint and Body, Chassis Dynamics, which did the suspension work, and Sign Masters, which handled the graphics, the Yuma Sun reported.