In the ever-evolving world of emergency medical services (EMS), agencies are constantly seeking innovative ways to maximize resources and enhance their capabilities. The Greater Valley EMS, based in Northern Pennsylvania, has taken a unique approach to this challenge by repurposing a retired coroner's vehicle into a versatile work truck. Derrick Hall, Executive Director of this group, shared the fascinating story of how his agency acquired and transformed the 2013 Chevy Silverado 2500.
The Discovery
While browsing through the auction listings on Municibid, Derrick came across a familiar sight. His not-for-profit EMS team supports part of Bradford County in Pennsylvania and a portion of Tavis County in New York. Without funding from tax dollars, they rely on donations, grants, and related things. That’s what brought him to Municibid and how he discovered a coroner's vehicle from a neighboring county he had previously worked with.
What caught his eye was the Stryker power load system and a stretcher in the back of the truck, the same equipment used in their ambulances.
“And when I saw that truck listed, I immediately recognized the vehicle more or less about an hour and a half away from Lekomi County, Pennsylvania, which is where this truck had served the coroner's office for the first 10 years of its life. I've worked with the coroner's office down there on some joint projects and some regional projects also. So, as soon as I saw the picture, I recognized the lettering and the paint scheme and everything else on there.”
“We're pretty familiar with their office. And I knew that seeing that truck, I knew it had been well taken care of for the first 10 years of its life.” - Derrick Hall
The Winning Bid and Unexpected Opportunity
As part of an ongoing fleet upgrade project, Derrick’s intention was to acquire the power load system and transplant it into one of their ambulances. However, after winning the auction at a remarkably low price – less than half the cost of a new system – and inspecting the truck's excellent condition, the agency decided to keep and repurpose the entire vehicle.
“Our winning bid was probably just under half of what that new power load system and the stretcher would cost if we got it from Stryker, the manufacturer. Yeah, we really lucked out there. That was a huge win for us.”
Then we went down to pick up the truck, saw what kind of condition it was in, how well they had taken care of it, which we suspected anyway, because like I said, we have a familiarity with their office, so we knew they had taken care of it. But really, when we brought it back here, some of our board members looked at it and it was just a no-brainer for it to keep the truck also.” - Derrick Hall
The Transformation and Expanded Capabilities
The pickup truck has proven to be invaluable, allowing the Greater Valley EMS to carry specialized equipment for their water rescue operations, vehicle extrication, and work productively in the snow. Great Valley is now empowered to respond more effectively to a wide range of emergencies.
“We had the Stryker technician transplant the stretcher system into an ambulance…Worked out great for us as far as that goes.”
“We ended up using the pickup truck to replace a 2010 Dodge Charger that we had, that was primarily used for paramedic response to support our ambulance crews. So during the day, myself being a paramedic, my operations manager is also a paramedic, we would use that vehicle to go out and respond and support our ambulance crews if they were on the street and they needed that extra set of hands for a critical patient or for lifting and moving patients.” - Derrick Hall
Perhaps the most remarkable example of the truck's impact occurred during a severe car accident last summer. A patient was trapped in a rolled-over vehicle, and the trauma team determined that a field amputation might be necessary to free them. In a truly extraordinary move, Greater Valley EMS used the truck to transport two surgeons, a cooler full of blood, and their medical equipment directly to the scene.
“We were able to take this truck. We responded to the hospital, picked up two surgeons, a cooler full of blood, responded with them out to the scene, took all of their equipment, and multiple units of blood to the scene. And we were able to have a good outcome for the patient because of the resources that this truck helped deliver to the scene.”
“Our medical director actually wrote a peer-reviewed journal article report on this, showing the value of being able to get that surgical team out to the field and the blood products and the impact that it has on patients' lives and part of that is facilitated because we had this to be used for that.” - Derrick Hall
Looking Ahead: Addressing Challenges and Encouraging Volunteerism
Greater Valley EMS's journey reminds us that even in the face of challenges, creative solutions can emerge when we approach problems with an open mind and a willingness to explore unconventional paths, such as supporting your cause using government surplus. Yet, despite their innovation, Greater Valley, like many other agencies, faces ongoing challenges in recruiting and retaining volunteers. Derrick emphasized the importance of community involvement and encouraged those with diverse skill sets to consider volunteering, even if they are not directly involved in patient care.
“We're always looking for volunteers. Any EMS agency that uses volunteers is always looking for volunteers. We're no different than church group or the Little League or the Red Cross. Everybody is running real short on volunteers these days, so any additional hands are always welcome there too.”
“And speaking not only for us, but also for other agencies out there too, if someone is listening, interested in volunteering for their local EMS agency, it's not always they have to be in the back of the ambulance taking care of somebody. The services can use help in the office, whether it's doing administrative tasks or, you know, someone to help with inventory control or, you know, budgeting and finance sort of things. If someone has an area of expertise, there's probably a way they can apply that to their local EMS agency.” - Derrick Hall
Whether you want to volunteer, run a business, or you’re looking for a pet project to complete while at home, government surplus is a sure way to add innovation and excitement to your life. Take a look at our police vehicles, landscaping equipment, and so much more!
