Photo Courtesy of Dexter Fire and Rescue

An emergency service unit within Dallas County was recently given a vehicle to aid residents in a quick manner.

Dexter Fire and Rescue received a R480 Ambulance, thanks to the Stuart Rescue Department and the City of Stuart. Dexter Emergency Medical Services Captain Eli Canfield explains that in addition to the vehicle being given to the department, an anonymous donor was responsible for covering all the costs related to preparing the ambulance for service. He notes that the old unit was a Dodge one-ton pickup that was purchased back in 1998, and that it was time to get a vehicle that was more modern.

Canfield reveals that there is now a cot inside of the new unit and provides more space for staff members to sit alongside when transporting a patient to the hospital. He details that Stuart’s EMS Director Sean Bovinett contacted him to see if Dexter Fire and Rescue was interested in getting the unit, which Canfield confirmed, and then it was during a September 2024 city council meeting that Canfield spoke on Dexter’s behalf to accept the ambulance. He tells Raccoon Valley Radio that getting the ambulance will contribute to giving patients quality service.

“This is actually step one of taking our service and trying to provide the highest care that we can for our community, so it really is a big deal. In other words, before, if we had CPR or one of the more serious and sensitive calls in a public place, well we would just have to continue it in the public, where now we can move them into an ambulance.”

Canfield lists that the Dexter and Rescue covers portions of Madison, Johnson, Adair, and Dallas counties. He adds that the old unit is being transformed into a Brush Truck to fight against fires. Photos courtesy of Dexter Fire and Rescue.