Buncombe County invests in ambulance fleet renewal, targets carbon reduction

BUNCOMBE COUNTY, N.C. (WLOS) — Buncombe County will be welcoming new ambulances as leaders continue striving to alleviate the shortage of viable vehicles in the area.

A number of new ambulances have already hit the streets, with 15 new units from previous orders and backlogs on the way.

The average life expectancy of an ambulance is about four years.

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Lillian Govus, the communications and public engagements director for Buncombe County, said one of their vehicles that is currently on fleet has been around since 2017.

Leaders are investing in capital to improve the overall functionality of the ambulances.

“Since we've been experiencing some delays to be able to procure these, that has made us be more creative in what we have right now in our fleet," Govus said. "For FY25, we're budgeting $1.4 million for four new ambulances and then another $300,000 for new chassis for three remounts."

Govus added that any of the current vehicles that have more than 200,000 miles accumulated will be retired.

As the fleet expands, the county is also looking to focus on reaching its sustainability goals.

“We're working to decrease our carbon admissions," Govus emphasized. "So six of these new ambulances as part of a pilot project will also have idle mitigation systems, so that it allows less engine wear but also decreases fuel consumption and reduces in those carbon admissions."

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During the transition to new vehicles, Buncombe County officials said there has been no impact on emergency response times.

The new vehicles will also come with a new design. Officials says that the current look has been around since the 70s and they’re looking to make a change. That also means as they’re working to replace the existing ambulances, they are redesigning them with a new look that reflects the company and the new direction.

“With the new ambulances, that afforded us the opportunity to bring out a new look and change that up and have a different appearance on it," Govus said. "You'll see more of those out and about and those are our new vehicles that we're extremely excited about having on the roads to serve our community."