(Seguin) — Two EMS units are hitting the streets of Seguin but one of them is not just any EMS unit. One of them is a state-of-the-art infectious disease ambulance. Thanks to $489,100 in grant funding from the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs (TDHCA), the city was able to purchase these vehicles.
Chief Dale Skinner says this is a big improvement for the city’s emergency medical service. He says the new IDRUs have the highest technology systems available. Whether it’s COVID or anything else, Skinner says they protect patients and medical personnel, giving them all peace of mind.
The new Infectious Disease Response Units (IDRUs) are specially equipped with a ceiling- mounted surface disinfection system, ultraviolet air purifiers, antimicrobial grab bars and a sealed rear cab with driver monitor communication, among other technological upgrades.
In early 2023, the Seguin Fire Department (SFD) received a Community Resiliency Award (CRP) funded through the Community Development Block Grant – CARES Act Program for the purchase of the two units.
The CRP is designed to help communities prevent, prepare for and respond to COVID-19 (or the potential for other pandemics) by creating, expanding or enhancing public services that provide medical care, among other things, in an effort to increase the community’s long-term resiliency and ability to mitigate future outbreaks.
The ambulances, manufactured by Frazer Ambulance Co. in Houston, were placed into service mid-April.
