The Selma City Council voted unanimously Dec. 2 to approve Resolution 2025-127, authorizing the purchase of a new Type 3 Ford E-350 ambulance through the HGAC purchasing cooperative for $271,923.36. Fire Chief Webster told the council the order is necessary now to secure chassis placement and current pricing because manufacturing lead times for emergency vehicles have stretched to about a year or more.

“The funding for this will be coming out of the ambulance fund, and it will be part of the 26-27 fiscal year budget,” Fire Chief Webster said, explaining staff will not pay until the vehicle is delivered and inspected. He said the anticipated delivery window puts the unit in queue for 2027 and that a recent $1,500 equipment price increase was driven by a gurney manufacturer.

Council members pressed staff on timing, the replacement plan and lifecycle costs; Webster said Selma operates a six-ambulance fleet and follows a replacement cadence that averages one new ambulance purchase per year with two purchases every third year when needed. The chief also noted the city prefers gas-powered van-style ambulances for lower maintenance problems compared with some diesel platforms.

The council made the motion, and the procurement passed on a roll-call vote with all members voting yes. Staff will execute a purchase agreement and bring the unit into the city’s fleet when delivered in the expected 2027 window.

What’s next: Staff will execute procurement documents as authorized, and the ambulance will be delivered, inspected and paid for at the time of delivery; budget acknowledgement of the FY 2026–27 allocation was described as part of ongoing budget planning.