Excerpts from the Chicago Tribune:
It seems like a fortunate decision by Clarendon Hills officials to keep their old ambulance as a backup when they purchased a new $259,000 model in December 2014. The 2015 Freightliner/Horton ambulance, delivered on December 11, has been out of service since February 23 due to cracks inside the interior walls, according to Fire Chief Brian Leahy. The vehicle is expected to be unavailable until late March while it undergoes repairs.
"There was some major cracking, and we took it back to the dealer," said Leahy. "We're hoping this will be resolved soon."
The dealer, Foster Coach Sales, Inc., based in Sterling, Illinois, only sells ambulances. They sent the unit to the manufacturer, Horton Ambulance, in Ohio. According to Leahy, the ambulance will be disassembled and reassembled on March 9. "It started with one crack, and then five more appeared within a week. The entire interior needs to be taken apart and put back together," he explained.
While Leahy expressed disappointment that the new ambulance is already out of commission just months after its arrival, he remains confident the issue will be resolved. "It's a glitch; I don't think it's a lemon," he said. "The problem is cosmetic, but it definitely needs to be fixed."
Meanwhile, the department has returned the 2008 ambulance to service. Originally, the plan was to sell or trade in the older unit, which had received two verbal offers of $30,000 each. However, internal discussions led to a different approach: keeping the 2008 ambulance as a backup for times when the new one is out for maintenance, mechanical issues, or involved in an accident.
Historically, the fire department operated with just one ambulance. A ladder truck carries some medical equipment, but it cannot transport patients to the hospital. Leahy said the department would manage without a backup ambulance during the repair period, though Foster Coach Sales has offered to provide a loaner if needed.
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