GOWRIE, Iowa — 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, WHO 13 reported.
“When 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’s no room,” 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’s 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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