The Village of New Berlin is looking at options to replace its ambulance which officials say has become too costly to repair. (Photo from New Berlin Fire Department on Faceook).

NEW BERLIN – The Village of New Berlin board is exploring options for a replacement ambulance that would allow it to continue EMS services, but board members say they’re being put in a tight spot that could be detrimental to the village budget.

“At this point, the repairs needed on the ambulance we own are quite extensive and we’re hesitant to put that much money into an older ambulance,” said New Berlin Mayor Peter Lennon. “We might be able to get it running again, but we would never see a return on a potential resale.”

The village’s ambulance, a 2007 model, has been out of commission for nearly three months, replaced temporarily by a leased rig from the Village of Sidney in Delaware County at the cost of $100 per day. New Berlin has banked on Sidney to supply an ambulance before, sometimes for days at a time while repairs are made to their own rig.

While it’s been a good temporary solution to New Berlin’s ambulance woes, a long-term lease option with Sidney simply isn’t feasible, said Lennon, and board members have to make a tough decision: replace their ambulance, remount their ambulance on a new chassis, or make needed repairs — all of which are extremely costly.

While board members acknowledged at a special meeting held Tuesday that it’s not an ideal financial position, the village has had foresight to itemize a replacement ambulance fund in the 2023-2024 general budget to the tune of about $55,000 plus another $9,000 that’s available in other reserves. There’s also potential for charity from an anonymous donor to help close some of the financial gaps, although the village is likely to carry a big portion of the remaining expense of a new ambulance.

The village has opened three bids on a replacement ambulance, none of which have been viewed enthusiastically by the board. A new ambulance comparable to their current one dons a roughly $250,000-$300,000 price tag, and even buying used from another municipality could run roughly $100,000.

Board members have taken interest in an offer from a regionally based company called VCI which specializes in emergency vehicle retail in the New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania area. New Berlin officials are planning a trip to inspect a 2018 model rig for sale in the Philadelphia area in the coming week in hopes of negotiating price and leveraging a $5,000-$7,000 trade-in offer for their current one.

“We have not made any final decisions,” Lennon stressed, adding his reluctance to bond any major amount to cover expenses or hastily commit to any purchase agreement. “Nothing has been signed yet.”

“I fully support that we need a new ambulance,” said board member Josh Burchill, citing the limitations of the village’s reserves. “I just worry that we’re looking at going broke.”

In the meantime, the village has been covering the $3,000 per month lease expense of the Sidney ambulance with revenues garnered from EMS services.