After delay, patient inside makes it to hospital

TIVERTON — A Tiverton rescue truck (Rescue #1), on its way to Charlton Hospital from Tiverton's south end with a patient, broke down on Route 24 about 12:30 p.m. Thursday afternoon.

Another Tiverton rescue vehicle was called to the scene from Tiverton's north end, the patient was transferred to the second truck at roadside, and the trip to the hospital was continued, "after a 15-20 minute delay," said Tiverton Fire Chief Robert Lloyd.

"The patient had difficulty breathing," Chief Lloyd said, "but we were able to continue treatment and get him to the hospital."

Rescue #1 may be no longer able to be of use to the town. ""It just died," Chief Lloyd said. "It's ten years old and has about 200,000 miles on it," he said.

A budget item calling for the purchase of a new rescue vehicle had been the subject of debate during the recent budget discussions.

A municipal capital budget item of $61,350 (each year, for a five-year purchase period) to buy a new rescue vehicle, had been recommended by the Budget Committee in the FY17 budget it had originally proposed.

That proposal was at first caught up in a series of budget cuts thought to be necessary to comply with the mandate imposed by Petitioner Justin Katz's budget (Budget #2) that was approved at the May 21 Financial Town Referendum.

However, the recent reconfiguration of the trash disposal system used by the town, that effectively freed up $500,000 from the trash account, has made it possible for the town to commit to buying a new rescue truck.

At its meeting last Monday, the Town Council voted to approve the purchase of a "Demo Rescue Vehicle" for $273,321 from Greenwood Fire Apparatus in North Attleboro.

The purchase will be made in FY17. The truck is "currently available for immediate delivery," said the council agenda item.

When exactly that new vehicle will be able to go into service is not known at this time.