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Grand Coulee’s volunteer fire department responded to 216 ambulance calls within its jurisdiction in 2014 and the department made an additional 51 ambulance calls in Coulee Dam, Fire Chief Richard Paris told the city council recently.

The ambulance crews were busy with 112 transports from Coulee Medical Center to other hospitals or to the airport where patients were picked up by MedStar and flown to other sites for treatment. Four additional transports were made for other jurisdictions, Paris reported at the council’s Jan 6 meeting.

Firefighters responded to 37 fire calls during 2014.

Paris asked for the council to authorize him to start the process of acquiring a new ambulance. The newest ambulance the city has now has 90,000 miles on it.

Paris told the council that the city may have an opportunity to “piggy back” with another municipality or department to speed up delivery time.

The cost of an ambulance, $150,000, is in the city’s 2015 budget.