# seeking information



## WCUMED (Jan 18, 2012)

I am the current captain of Western Carolina University EMS. We are a small service consisting of 20 students that provide BLS coverage to the students, staff, and visitors of Western Carolina all free of any charge. We are entirely staffed, lead, and run by students and have been since 1965. We operate a single type III Wheeled Coach ambulance, and operate a QRV which consists of that days shift supervisors POV. 

	I am looking for information on how other small services might have gone about getting vehicles donated or at a reduced rate in the past. We are not in a situation where money is readily available, seeing as our operating budget for equipment, supplies, fuel, maintenance, ect. is only $10,000 a year. We are in a position in which we have an ambulance that currently meets our needs, however looking into the near future one can easily see the inevitable upon the horizon. 

	We have kicked around the idea of looking for services that are willing to donate either a used and decommissioned ambulance or QRV but, have no real clue where to start. So my plan is simple, ask for help. 

If we could get a hold of another ambulance or ORV our plans are as follows: (please feel free to comment on and/or suggest changes)

If we could get a QRV: a crew of 2 would be placed on the ambulance as normal. The QRV would be operated by the shift supervisor. This would allow for us as a service to have 2 BLS certified vehicles and provide better quality care. 

If we could get another ambulance:  

Option 1: Rotate days. Truck changes every other day. This would allow both trucks to be driven enough to keep them road worthy in addition to lessening the stress on the truck that runs every day.

Option 2: Use the second truck as a shift supervisors vehicle. One ambulance would function as a staffed 2 man truck like normal. The second would function as a QRV operated by the shift supervisor with scheduled “on call” personnel who would be able to respond to the scene of a second call or a call for assistance, allowing us to function with 2 transport capable units. 

Again please feel free to critique and/or add to our plans.

Thanks for any help or advice you are able to provide! 

Captain M. Losh


----------

