The new base for Mid-Mo Ambulance in California has already made a difference. One of the biggest upgrades with the new base is the garage.
Lee Kempf, the administrator of Mid-Mo, said the new garage is much better than the old one.
"We've upgraded the garage," Kempf said. "It gives us more options in the times of a major issue, if we need to have two ambulance staffs there, for some bizarre reason, it will give us the ability to have more staff, if needed."
The new garage has three bays and is deeper than the garage at the old base. Kempf said this will allow longer ambulances to fit in the base in the future.
Kempf believes the new base will be more efficient than the old one.
"It has in-floor heating throughout the garage and the crew quarters," Kempf said. "It is insulated much better than the old facility and our pad is heated, so we don't have to worry about having a bunch of snow removed or any issues like that."
The new location, which is closer to U.S. 50 is another way the base will be more efficient than the old one. It makes its easier for the ambulance to get out of the base and head to its destination, without having to deal with heavy traffic.
"It makes us not pull out into heavy traffic," Kempf said. "The old base was essentially downtown, next to the post office, and depending on traffic, it could become a real issue with getting in and out. By being where we are, I think it has helped us get to a lot of places (faster)."
It has been easier for ambulances to go to either the east side or west side of California with this new location.
"We are on (Missouri) 87 and, by being there, it has shorten things," Kempf said. "Not by much, maybe one or two minutes, depending on where you are going, but all that time counts."