| Left to right: Sergeant. Mitch Vetere, Diane Chandler, Stacy Lovato, Lisa Weihing, Toni Jones, Misti Sweeten, Kimberly Mayall, Kordine Nelson, Trooper Warren Nelson |
Sergeant Mitch Vetere of the Emery County Sheriff’s Office recently presented a key to the new ambulance to Diane Chandler and a group of Green River EMTs.
Sheriff Lamar Guymon said, “The ambulance was purchased with a $25,000 grant and a $75,000 match from Emery County. The grant comes from the state emergency medical services which operates a program to aid counties in the replacement of older ambulances with new ones.
“The Green River EMTs are employed by the Emery County Ambulance services which is a division of the Emery County Sheriff’s Office. It is very important for Green River to have new and top of the line equipment. The shortest run the Green River Ambulance makes is a minimum of 60 miles one way to Castleview Hospital in Price. If they respond eastbound on I-70 then they will go down into Grand Junction to St. Mary’s Hospital. If they respond on State Route 6 and westbound on I-70 they will transport to Castleview Hospital. The Green River ambulance service responds within a 100 mile radius of Green River. They are called out from Crescent Junction to Ghost Rocks.
“The Green River ambulance averages about twice as many runs as those ambulances in the western end of Emery County. We maintain three ambulances at the Green River garage and sometimes that isn’t enough when we have a severe accident to respond to.
“The Green River EMTs are very excited to get the new ambulance. It’s been five years since their last new one and this ambulance is a welcome addition to Green River.
“The county has been on an ambulance replacement schedule of one every two years, but due to budget problems that hasn’t been happening. Ferron is due for the next replacement ambulance.
“Their newest ambulance is six-seven years old. Hopefully with a new grant we will be able to fund another ambulance next year.
“The ambulance service and the EMTs are important to every community and we appreciate the time and the effort of the local EMTs in ensuring community safety.
“We have also had cooperation from the Emery County Commissioners in responding to the needs of the sheriff’s office and the ambulance service,” said Sheriff Guymon.