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By NOAH WORTHAM | Managing Editor

CALERA – The Calera City Council approved an agreement for ambulance services in the city and the purchase of a vehicle for the police department’s Calera Accountability and Success Through Education program during a meeting on Monday, Feb. 3.

The Calera City Council approved a resolution to authorize the mayor to sign an agreement with Regional Paramedical Services, Inc. for ambulance services for the city.

“It’s very expensive to staff and run an ambulance for the city,” Fire Chief Sean Kendrick said during the work session. “A lot of cities do it, they’re very successful. I think this is the best fit for us.”

According to a draft of the resolution, the city will provide RPS with monthly installments of $22,900 and in return the organization will offer ground, basic and advanced life support ambulance services with a 24-hour paramedic unit dedicated to the city.

“The contract is for them to provide one 24-hour truck, 365 days a year that is an advanced life support paramedic truck and that truck would be solely dedicated to the city of Calera,” Kendrick said.

The ambulance services will be provided by RPS employees who will staff the truck and will be responsible for transporting any patients to the hospital or to a landing zone. Calera Fire Department employees will not be responsible for staffing the ambulance.

“If we have a severe patient, then we will send one of our paramedics as a ride along just to help render care to the patient,” Kendrick said.

With the agreement approved, a separate resolution will be brought before the council in the future regarding a lease agreement for the rental of Calera Fire Station No. 1.

During the meeting, the council approved the purchase of a four by four utility vehicle which was made possible by the Justice Assistance Grant Program which provided the city of Calera with $23,689 in grant award funding.

Additionally, the council approved the purchase of a vehicle to be used by the Calera Police Department’s CASE program. According to Chief of Police David Hyche, the vehicle will be labeled with the department’s CASE branding and it will be operated exclusively for the program by the CASE director.

In other business, the Calera City Council approved the following:

• The declaration of items in the Public Works Department and Parks and Recreation Department as surplus
• The adoption of a public records request policy
• The renewal of a bond for work on a highway right of way in Shelby County and Chilton County
• An annexation request by John Davis Jr. and Ann Davis for 664 Meadow Lake Farms, Calera, AL 35040
• An agreement for the installation and/or operation and/or maintenance of traffic control signals at the intersection of Highway 70 and County Road 42