At the Emergency Management Center and Fire Department, Matt Perry, Monroe County EMA director and Fire Chief, says many of their vehicles are more than 15 years old.
"In the last 5 to 7 years, we've seen about a 30 to 35 percent increase in the demand for our service alone," says Perry.
The Monroe County SPLOST budgets $2 million for emergency response vehicles. Perry explains when they look at the budget, they brainstorm. "Where can we save money, where can we put the money to make the most good and then see the biggest return on our taxpayer investment?"
To spread out the budget as much as possible, they take the backs of old trucks and refurbish them, then attach them to the fronts of newer trucks. That way, they can put as many emergency response vehicles out on the road as possible.