POST FALLS - When Chris Way was hired as Kootenai County Emergency Medical Services chief a year ago, he was tasked with developing a vehicle replacement and maintenance plan because there wasn't one.

Way is making that mission a reality, as the EMS system has ordered 15 new ambulances to replace older ones as part of a $2.5 million, 10-year lease package with Horton Emergency Vehicles.

Way said the package, which will result in an entire new fleet, will not increase taxes in the district and will save the system money each year.

"That is why we did this," he said.

The ambulances will replace existing older rigs. They are expected to arrive in June.

Stations within the districts of Coeur d'Alene Fire, Kootenai County Fire and Rescue and Northern Lakes Fire will each house three of the ambulances, while stations in the Timberlake, Spirit Lake and Worley districts will each receive two.

Kootenai County EMS has more than 300 responders throughout Kootenai County with the exception of Harrison. It has seven employees who work from its home office on Seltice Way between Coeur d'Alene and Post Falls.

Way said EMS will be able to save money with the new fleet because its maintenance costs will decrease, it won't have to upgrade existing rigs to meet patient and staff safety standards and won't have to pay a higher price for the one or two new ambulances it buys each year.

Some of the rigs in the system are 15 years old. Kootenai County EMS will receive more than $300,000 for trading the existing vehicles to Horton.

Way said some of the current ambulances in the system have become overweight for the chassis they're built on due to increased and heavier equipment needed over the years. In addition, some safety features can't be added to them.

"The new ambulances will have five-point safety seatbelts for the crews," he said, adding that the existing vehicles only have lap belts.

The new rigs will have better rollover protection features such as airbags in the rear compartment to protect patients and staff, up-to-date stretchers and will be a smoother ride for patients. The vehicles also have dual controls in the back so the medic sitting by the patient can communicate via radio from any seat without needing to shuffle near the patient's head.

"When we started to look at everything, the only way we could efficiently look at it is replace the fleet and standardize everything," Way said. "There's savings in having only one size of tire, one type of fan belt, rather than a hodgepodge."

Way said consistency in the ambulances also provides advantages for the crews with how they tend to patients.

Way said the EMS system in Labette, Kan., where he was the chief before being hired for the Kootenai County job, used a successful lease vehicle replacement system.

Way estimates the system's annual maintenance costs will drop about $40,000. It has been spending about $300,000 a year to replace vehicles and another $30,000 on new stretchers.

The package includes an extended powertrain warranty of 150,000 miles on the vehicles. Way said ambulances systemwide log 235,000 to 240,000 miles per year and many maintenance issues involved the chassis.

The new vehicles will be built on Ford F-450 4-by-4 chassis.

Way said he was pleased that Horton won the bid for the ambulance package because it's an industry leader in safety features.