NORWAY – Western Maine Health President and CEO Timothy A. Churchill has announced the arrival of the new PACE truck earlier in the month.

PACE Director Robert Hand said, “We’re very excited here at PACE to add a new ambulance to our fleet. 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.”

“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.”

Other ambulance services in the state employ similar safe driving monitors. The monitors can observe anything from speed to unsafe conditions, notify the driver to allow adequate time to make adjustments to avoid accidents. The monitors help to improve driver safety and notify of changes to the ambulance to catch problems, which helps reduce maintenance costs of fleets.

PACE Ambulance Service includes five ambulances that serve the Oxford County region and respond to more than 3,000 calls annually. There are a minimum of two paramedics and two emergency medical technicians on duty every shift 24 hours a day seven days a week.

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.