TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — The Three Points Fire District (TPFD) has upgraded its emergency response capabilities with two new ambulances and additional equipment, marking a significant development for a district that serves a rural area where the nearest hospital is 35 miles away.
The fire district's previous ambulances were showing their age, with the newest dating back to 2014 and having roughly 230,000 miles on it. The challenging terrain and long distances required for medical transports took a heavy toll on the older vehicles.
"Our roads are primarily dirt roads, and they get really rough, so that's going to put a lot of wear and tear on suspension, on just the truck in general," Captain Louie Rojas said.
Rojas says TPFD gets about 1,400-1,800 calls a year and with 85% of their calls being medical emergencies, the outdated ambulances struggled to meet demand and provide comfortable transport for patients.
"The older trucks were breaking down a lot. We were constantly switching into older trucks and get it fixed and would be out of service two weeks later just because they were so old and they were so run down," Rojas said. "Not necessarily very comfortable for the residents out here because it's a stiff ride and everything's falling apart, so these ones will be able to give a better ride for our patients and get them to the hospital safer."
"So we have a really big area and we have to have trucks that are capable of moving quickly and safely to get there. Our ambulance service covers over 300 square miles," Rojas said. "We go almost to Mexico that way. We go all the way that way to Sells, you know, we border over the Avra Valley, Picture Rocks, Northwest. We border up with a lot of different districts, so it's very important for our vehicles to run right and you know, to keep our mechanics from going crazy."
The new ambulances feature four-wheel drive and electric gurneys, which represent a major improvement for firefighter safety and efficiency. The electric gurneys eliminate the physical strain of manually lifting patients.
"That saves our backs. So one back injury can cost the fire district up to $100,000 with the person being out, possible surgeries, insurance premiums going up. So these gurneys cut that in half," Rojas said. "There'd be some times where the ground was so uneven that we'd have to have three or four units there to just lift one person in the truck so we didn't drop them. With these gurneys, they're a lot more stable and obviously brand new."
Each ambulance cost approximately $230,000. One was funded through a grant, along with the gurneys, while the other ambulance required budget allocation from the district's limited resources.
The district also received grant funding in the past for a new brush fire truck, 4,000 gallon water tender, cardiac monitors, LUCAS compress device, and the Jaws of Life. However, with only a $5 million annual budget, the department faces constraints on major purchases and continues operating a fire engine that's more than 20 years old.
"It's older than a lot of the firefighters that work here. But like I said, it's $700 to a million for a new engine plus if we ordered one today, we wouldn't see it for two or three years," Rojas said.
The district has applied for grants to replace the aging fire engine, but for now continues maintaining their existing equipment while serving the community with their upgraded ambulance fleet.
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Vanessa Gongora is KGUN 9's Westside reporter.. Vanessa fell in love with storytelling by growing up in sports. She was fascinated by how sports reporters go beyond the x's & o's to tell players' stories, and how sports bring people together, inspiring Vanessa to provide the same impact as a journalist. Share your story ideas and important issues with Vanessa by emailing vanessa.gongora@kgun9.com or by connecting on Facebook, Instagram, and X.
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