A new fleet of 11 new EMS vehicles have entered the fleet.
The introduction of the new fleet brought out city officials to commemorate their entering service.
“Public safety has been and will remain our top priority,” said Mayor LaToya Cantrell. “New Orleans EMS serves as a national model for innovational pre-hospital care as the only ground ambulance service in the State of Louisiana administering blood to trauma patients.
These units give EMS personnel top-of-the-line equipment to continue their innovative work to keep our residents and visitors of New Orleans safe.
The money for the new vehicles comes from a second allocation of the American Rescue Plan Act funds.
“Almost 70 percent of City employees are in vehicles, and it matters immensely that they have upgraded equipment,” said Chief Administrative Officer Gilbert Montaño. “Thank you for the help and support of EMS and EMD as well as for your patience. It is such an important piece for EMS, and all public safety departments, to have these resources to continue saving lives.”
The new vehicles include five ambulances, four NOEMS Sprint Units and two NOEMS logistics support vans. A total of nine new ambulances will be ready in time for parades starting this weekend, and a total of 11 will be ready by Mardi Gras Day on Feb. 21.
The ambulances are the first batch of a total of 12 that will be acquired this year, purchased at a cost of approximately $4.4 million using ARPA funds.
“These additional ambulances and other units will certainly bolster our fleet and get us where we need to be going into parades this weekend,” said Chief of New Orleans Emergency Medical Services (NOEMS) Bill Salmeron. “Thank you Mayor, CAO Montaño and the entire administration and City government for this big win for our city.
The new EMS units arrived right on time for the peak of Carnival season, further ensuring a safe and successful Mardi Gras for the residents and visitors to New Orleans.
They will also help reduce the need for contracted units from Acadian, saving the City money.
