Riverside discusses ambulance donation to Washington County

By Christopher Borro
Posted 9/23/20

The Riverside city council convened on Sept. 21 at the city’s fire station to, among other resolutions, receive updates on the long-running 4th Street construction work and to finalize the …

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Riverside discusses ambulance donation to Washington County

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The Riverside city council convened on Sept. 21 at the city’s fire station to, among other resolutions, receive updates on the long-running 4th Street construction work and to finalize the donation of an ambulance to Washington County.

The 4th street project began in the spring and is one of several street renewal campaigns mayor Allen Schneider has overseen since taking office in 2016.

“We’ve had a general plan to replace older infrastructure throughout town…to replace water and sewer services along some of our streets, and then we repave the street as well,” Schneider said.

“We’re excited to have that completed, hopefully it will look nice when it’s finished.”

Schneider said the project was nearing completion and the street should be fully repaired in October.

Another issue was the Riverside Fire Department’s old ambulance.

“It was stated back in April, the county made it very clear they do not want Riverside transporting anything. If we transport our own calls, that would chip into their budget,” Riverside fire chief Chad Smothers said.

The ambulance, when provided to the county, would be a dozen years newer than the county’s current transport ambulance.

“If we’re not going to transport, we shouldn’t have an ambulance that looks like a transport,” Smothers said, “because people keep trying to climb in, and they question, ‘why did they bring that if they’re not going to haul me to the hospital?’”

Smothers said, with the current transport ambulance being a two-wheel drive vehicle, his crew has sometimes found it difficult to get down unplowed country roads in the wintertime.

He also said Washington County officials have expressed gratitude about the donation. The Riverside council agreed to postpone any decision until a replacement ambulance could be brought in.

The fire chief also requested the council allow for the auctioning of a current truck, and the purchase of a new pickup to aid the Riverside fire department, decisions which the council ultimately approved.

Other major discussion revolved around a proposed expansion of the city’s community center, a plan brought up by city administrator Christine Yancey. The council deliberated whether to allow people living in Riverside, or residents from a two-mile radius, to vote on final plans for any expansion.

“Adding to it makes more sense than building the Taj Mahal, so we need to make sure we have our input included,” councilmember Edgar McGuire said of the proposal. “As we grow, the community center grows.”