GIRARD — City council has approved $225,842 in American Rescue Plan funds from the Trumbull County commissioners for a new ambulance as the city’s fire department is planning to offer ambulance services later this year.

City officials have discussed buying used ambulances and using ARP funds to buy them, in a bid to revive its ambulance services.

Fire Chief James Petruzzi and other fire staff gave a presentation to city council Monday about the ambulance service. The presentation included the amount of staffing that would be needed and what type of billing program will need to be in place.

“We wanted to discuss the ins and outs of running our own ambulance service,” Petruzzi said.

He said the ambulance is expected to take nine to 10 months for delivery,

“It is not just Girard. Many communities have sought funds to get new ambulances,” he said.

Petruzzi said the department will also look for a used ambulance so there will be two ambulances at the fire station.

He said when the program begins there will need to be five people on duty, per day, with at least two ambulances.

The approved ARP funds will go toward the new ambulance, along with panting, graphics, as well as a power cot and loader.

Residents at the meeting supported the effort to get the ambulance service started again.

Mayor Mark Zuppo said while the ambulance will take nine to 10 months for delivery, the ambulance service may be ready to begin in late summer.

Zuppo said he wants to have an ambulance service in place that benefits the residents.

He said after the first year the service will generate enough funds to pay for itself.

Girard stopped providing an ambulance service 20 years ago because in 2004 the city was in fiscal emergency.

Petruzzi said many communities across the state and country are working to revive their ambulance services.

Currently Girard emergency medical service responds to medical emergencies and accidents, but has a private company transport the patient to a hospital.

City officials and council’s health and safety committee has discussed adding part-time firefighters to help effectively run and sustain the ambulance service. It’s possible they could bring on full-time Firefighter / EMS professionals after assessing the program’s costs, success, and need.

In other business, Petruzzi said the fire department, in collaboration with the Girard Multigenerational Center, received $8,000 from the Trumbull County Senior Citizens Advisory Board for a senior watch program.

An informational meeting on the program will be at 6 p.m. May 22 at the center.

Petruzzi said the program will include lock boxes for keys allowing safety forces access to a home, special address numbers, smoke detectors and CO detectors.

He said there will be a welfare call check program where fire staff can call and check on a senior citizen.

Also, Zuppo said more than $700 in donations have been collected by Girard teachers, Girard city staff and officials and community members for the planned Don Rex Memorial, which will be located by the Mahoning River and canoe launch.

Rex was a former city official and school principal.

Also Monday, council approved increasing the pay of the zoning inspector from $15 to $16 per hour.

Have an interesting story? Contact Bob Coupland at bcoupland@tribtoday.com.