Beaufort County Community College uses $164,000 grant to buy new ambulance for training

WASHINGTON, N.C. (WITN) - Students at one community college in Eastern Carolina have a brand new ambulance to take part in high-quality training.

Beaufort County Community College says it received a $164,426 grant which it used to purchase a new ambulance for its Emergency Medical Services program. The grant came through the Cannon Foundation.

According to the release, the previous ambulance students used was obtained in 2018. The vehicle had nearly 400,000 miles and suffered from on-going use that made it difficult to meet the program’s state-mandated requirements.

This new ambulance, says the college, is fully stocked and will provide high-quality training for students and EMS providers.

“This new ambulance will address a major gap in our training resources,” said Billy Respass, director of EMS programs at Beaufort CCC. “We identified an ambulance already in production, so we significantly reduced delivery times compared to a custom build.”

The college says this ambulance will enable the expansion of its medical resources to counties in need like Beaufort, Hyde, Tyrrell, and Washington.

“This investment will enhance community health and safety for years to come,” Respass said. “By improving emergency care capabilities and fostering workforce development, we can make a lasting impact on the lives of those we serve.”