By Carol Stiffler

At their regular meeting on January 14, the Portage Township Board agreed to pursue plans to refurbish the township’s 2009 ambulance.

The topic of a new ambulance has been a continual discussion between the board and EMS Captain Eric Wiegand for about five years. Refurbishing the existing ambulance will cost more than $200,000, but should be significantly less expensive than purchasing a new ambulance, Wiegand said.

The Portage Township EMS department responded to 21 calls in December 2024, Wiegand said, and handled a total of 205 calls last year. That’s just one call less than their highest ever. They managed that with an aging fleet of two ambulances – one or the other was often out of service. The newest ambulance they have is from 2014 and will be obsolete in a few years, Wiegand said.

“Things keep happening to the ‘09 [ambulance],” Wiegand said. You can put a bunch of lipstick on this one but it’s not going to make it run like a horse. It’s going to end up failing us.”

One of the ambulances currently has no heat in the back, where patients ride, and the other has no heat in the front for the driver and crew.

“I tell the drivers they should wear mittens and hats,” Wiegand said, putting his hands up. “What do you do?”

The refurbished ambulance will have an F550 chassis, a gel ride, new lights inside and out, a new floor, and more.

Wiegand has been vocally frustrated for years regarding the township’s delay in addressing the ambulance situation.

“I’m surprised you guys haven’t done something in the last four years because we were looking at it before my leaving,” said Portage Township Supervisor Steve Sicinski. He served one term before being unseated in 2020 by Don Reed. Reed did not seek re-election, and Sicinski was voted back in during November’s presidential election.

The township already has the funds to purchase the new ambulance.

“Township residents paid for a millage to replace stuff, and we’ve got $400,000 sitting in a savings account to purchase an ambulance,” said Mike Soder, who serves on the EMS crew.

Sicinski acknowledged that the funds are in place and said he is very interested “in re-chassising the old ambulance.”

A vote is expected at the February 2025 meeting.

In other business, the board voted to start live-streaming and recording meetings so interested parties can tune in even if they’re out of town. They’d like to hire a high school student to operate the camera and monitor the livestream. The streaming option will start at the March 2025 meeting.