GOWRIE, Iowa 鈥� The Southwest Webster Ambulance Service in Gowrie will see a significant upgrade to its operations, thanks to $300,000 in funding from a Department of Agriculture grant.
The ambulance service has faced space constraints for years, with EMT Terry Towne noting the facility became inadequate more than 15 years ago, .
鈥淲hen I started 30 years ago, all of our supplies were in the bay with the ambulance, but now very little of them are because there鈥檚 no room,鈥� Towne explained.
To compensate, the service has been storing equipment in their meeting room, leaving the bay to accommodate just their two ambulances. The tight space is already a challenge, but Towne expressed concerns about the future, as newer ambulances are larger and wider, further limiting their storage options.
Senator Chuck Grassley announced that Gowrie will receive $2.3 million in federal funding through the U.S. Department of Agriculture鈥檚 Rural Development Grant Program. The funds, part of an award to five communities, will enable the construction of a new, modern facility to meet the growing demands of the service.
The funding represents a critical investment in improving emergency services and ensuring the rural community is better equipped to respond to medical emergencies.
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