The Mehlville Fire Protection District will be adding a new ambulance to its fleet after the Board of Directors, comprised of Treasurer Bonnie Stegman, Secretary Ed Ryan and Chairman Aaron Hilmer, unanimously approved a bid with Osage Ambulances.

The district was due to purchase a new ambulance as part of its apparatus replacement plan, Chief Brian Hendricks said at the Nov. 18 board meeting.

The new ambulance will cost $270,406, which is slightly less than what the district had originally budgeted, in part because the district is adding onto an order with St. Charles County. The ambulance will be similar to the other ambulances the district always orders, however the new ambulance will have a Ford 550 chassis, while the rest of the district’s fleet ride on a 450 chassis.

“Basically they’re gonna beef up the brakes and the driveline will be a little bit heavier,” Hendricks said about the difference. “This does include the (Stryker) Power-LOAD system (to load patients) … and the color scheme is the same. Everything else is the same.”

The new ambulance will also be equipped with four-wheel drive.