Lisbon-Mount Vernon Ambulance Service is in the planning stages of an addition to their building in Mount Vernon.
“The facility is set to be built in phases, with the first phase including a larger apparatus bay,” said Jacob Lindauer, LMVAS director. “That bay will feature passive solar as well as solar power generation.”
That new bay will be able to house all of the LMVAS fleet of vehicles, as well as plan for growth of the service as the community grows.
The estimated cost of the first phase of the project is $985,500, and is being designed by MGA architects.
Additional phases will add and enhance crew sleeping quarters and a day room to encourage more member activity at the station.
“It will also include a large training center able to do online education as well as host local EMS and outreach courses,” Lindauer said.
The projected cost of the entire project is $1.65 million.
LMVAS received a significant kickstart to their fundraising efforts with a $112,500 grant from the Linn County Board of Supervisors American Rescue Plan Act funds.
“We are thrilled to have received $112,500.00 from the Linn County Board of Supervisors for the project and this will be a great jump start as we continue to seek grants and private funds,” Lindauer said. “This award is causing us to announce the project a little earlier than we anticipated as we are still in the works of securing other funding to put us even closer to our goal.”
“I am proud of the work County staff and Supervisors put into reviewing over 200 applications for ARPA funding. We balanced rural and urban needs and helped to bolster critical non-profit service providers in the community,” Linn County Board of Supervisors chair Ben Rogers said.
“This has been an incredible process. The Board really came together and worked to ensure the most critical projects in our community received the vital resources they needed to be successful,” Linn County supervisor Stacey Walker said. “We invested in initiatives ranging from tuition assistance to help county residents attend community college, to rural community infrastructure, to sustainability and resiliency efforts. All in all, our community will be made stronger because this Board found consensus around our most pressing needs.”
“Although the funding didn’t come out exactly as I had hoped, good compromises came out of our discussion during our Board meeting today and we were able to fund some important community needs,” supervisor Louie Zumbach said.
Lindauer said when they were evaluating if an addition or relocation of the ambulance structure made more sense, it was determined enhancing the current building would be the most cost-effective solution.
“The current structure was built in 1990, with another addition made in 2010 to add sleeping quarters for members needing to stay at the station,” Lindauer said. “In the last 10 years, our service has continued to grow in volume, membership, and equipment. This year we are anticipating responding to over 800 calls for service with a membership of 40 providers. Due to the size of our current membership, we are unable to do meetings and training at our home facility and utilize the Mount Vernon-Lisbon Police Department building.”
Lindauer said there are also more members who need to stay at the station when they are on call, with limited facilities to do so.
“These are all ways LMVAS is enhancing our ability to respond,” Lindauer said. “LMVAS currently operates three vehicles, two ambulances and an ALS response SUV, with inside parking space only available for two ambulances. As LVMAS call volume increases we anticipate the need to potentially add an additional ambulance as well.”
Equipment that goes into the SUV has to be loaded for each emergency call, due to Iowa’s hot summers and cold winters, which can delay response time on emergency calls. An ambulance bay that houses all vehicles and climate control would help with response times.
The phased construction will allow uninterrupted service to the communities of Mount Vernon and Lisbon.
“LMVAS has been able to capitalize on unique offerings to maintain a strong volunteer base of members including offering station sleeping quarters, spaces to relax, and office space for remote workers who can then leave to respond for ambulance call outs,” Lindauer said. “By enhancing our facilities we are hoping to continue to create a welcoming atmosphere with amenities that will keep members engaged in the service, which ultimately enhances our local response capabilities.”
LMVAS is also in the midst of a capital campaign at the moment. Their recent round-up with Gary’s provided $5,500 in funding, and they are seeking donations from businesses and others.
“Due to rising healthcare costs and stagnant reimbursements, our operational budget does not allow for much excess funding to be utilized for large projects and primarily supports our general operating costs,” Lindauer said. “Our service has been fortunate in the community’s generosity to support a high performing ambulance service in the community, especially in a time when several services are shutting doors due to decreased volunteers and increased costs.”
This year also marks the organization’s 50th anniversary in Mount Vernon and Lisbon. The original founding of a non-profit organization dedicated to local ambulance services happened May 14, 1973. The first ambulance and trained personnel began July 26, 1974.
“In the spirit of our founders LMVAS will be launching an informational and funding campaign starting with a May open house to help fund this project and make sure LMVAS can continue for another 50 years,” Lindauer said.
The Board of Supervisors had $13 million to award in Round 2 and funding requests that exceeded $75 million. Round 2 applicants included 72 new applications, in addition to the 53 eligible applications that were received in Round 1 but not funded. All 125 applicants were competing for the limited funding.
The Board of Supervisors awarded Round 2 ARPA funding to the following organizations for affordable housing, social services, public health, capital investments and negative economic impacts from COVID-19 (Category A) and water and sewer infrastructure projects (Category D):
Category A
• Academy for Scholastic and Personal Success We’re Not Playing: $650,000
• African American Museum Voices Inspiring Progress: $333,000
• Cedar Rapids Public Library Westside Library and Opportunity Center: $4,000,000
• City of Alburnett Repurpose Former Fire Station into City Hall: $141,450
• Horizons: A Family Service Alliance New Iowan Collaborative-Transportation: $64,000
• Indian Creek Nature Center Education Expansion: $250,000
• LBA Foundation Refugee & Immigrant Center Youth Navigator: $111,435
• Linn County Advocate Fostering Thriving Communities: $389,120
• Linn County Board of Supervisors Linn County Grant Program for Kirkwood Community College Scholarships: $1,000,000
• Linn County Community Action Fund Youth Leadership: $66,700
• Linn County Sheriff’s Office COVID-19 Mitigation Cell Blocks: $1,700,000
• Linn County Sustainability Director of Resiliency Operations: $363,389
• Linn County Public Health Mobile Clinic: $625,000
• Linn County Treasurer Protective Glass: $227,500
• Lisbon/Mt. Vernon Ambulance Service Building Addition and Renovation: $112,500
• Refugee and Immigrant Center Together We Can Initiative: $10,000
• Mercy Medical Center Hospital Enhanced Infection Control: $750,000
• Mirrorbox Theatre A Home for New Plays: $50,000
• Salvation Army Disaster Services Hub & Food Distribution: $65,880
• Tanager Place Clinic Safety, Security, & Accessibility: $213,000
• Trees Forever Tree Canopy Restoration: $100,000
• Wellington Heights Neighborhood Association Finding New and Neat Ways to Connect: $5,600
Category A Total Funding: $11,228,574
Category D
• City of Ely Drinking Water Treatment Facility: $1,000,000
• City of Hiawatha Water Main Upgrades: $310,000
• City of Marion Sanitary Sewer Project 6: $150,000
• City of Springville Sanitary Sewer Extension: $250,000
• Linn County Planning & Development Well and Irrigation Infrastructure: $41,000
Category D Total Funding: $1,751,000
Total Funding Round 2 (includes Category A and D): $12,979,574