PACE Ambulance Service took possession of a new ambulance on Dec. 19.

PACE acquires new ambulance

NORWAY – Western Maine Health President and CEO Timothy A. Churchill has announced the arrival of the new PACE truck on Dec. 19.

PACE Director Robert Hand said, “We’re very excited here at PACE to add a new ambulance to our fleet. Aside from the fact that its always nice to have a new vehicle, I think this speaks toward the commitment Stephens Memorial Hospital has made to the citizens we serve. Obviously we will save on fuel and maintenance with this new vehicle, but it also means a smoother, safer and more reliable ride for our customers in need.”

Hand said, “This is just part of our overall long-term vehicle replacement plan, which means that we will continue to rotate newer vehicles toward the front line in the coming years to continue to ensure safe, reliable and economically sound vehicles. In the future, we expect to be adding driver training systems to the ambulances, similar to a black box on an aircraft. These systems can measure forces applied to the trucks so that we can gear training toward deficiencies we see in how the vehicles are operated and protect our investments.”

Other ambulance services in the state employ similar safe driving monitors. The monitors help improve driver safety and notify of changes to the ambulance to catch problems, which helps reduce maintenance costs of fleets.

PACE Ambulance Service has five ambulances to serve the Oxford County region and respond to more than 3,000 calls annually. Stephens Memorial Hospital is an affiliate of Western Maine Health, which is part of the Maine Health family. Visit Western Maine Health on the Internet at www.wmhcc.org.