Governor Steve Beshear today announced a $500,000 Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) to construct a new building to house ambulances in Pendleton County. The new facility will replace the county’s current ambulance building, which is inefficient and experiences frequent flooding from the nearby Licking River.
“Response time for emergency medical service workers can mean the difference between life and death for the citizens they serve,” said Gov. Beshear. “This new ambulance building in Pendleton County will provide workers with the quality facility they need to safely and quickly respond to calls, and effectively serve the community.”
Pendleton County’s current ambulance building is located in downtown Falmouth, on a landlocked parcel of property in the 100-year flood plain. When the building floods, the three ambulances housed there must move to temporary facilities, and workers are forced to leave behind certain equipment due to size, weight, and transport logistics. The Licking River bisects the county, so when flooding occurs, the ambulances must separate so that both the northern and southern areas of the county are served. This potentially leaves one half of the county exposed to inadequate services.
The new ambulance facility will be located out of the 500-year flood plain, west of Falmouth on KY 330. Its design incorporates highly efficient lighting, insulation and a computer monitored heating and cooling system, all of which will save money on energy use. The new building will be more than twice the size of the current facility, allowing for an additional ambulance bay, ample storage for equipment, and a hazardous materials decontamination room. It will also have accommodations for staff and a space to conduct meetings as well as Kentucky Board of Emergency Medical Services (EMS) mandated trainings.
“This new ambulance building is a great asset for our community,” said Rep. Tom McKee. “Nothing is more important than providing reliable emergency services to the people of my district. My constituents in Pendleton County can rest assured that this project will keep our ambulance service safe from flooding, and provide the dependable care we all expect. I want to thank the Governor, Judge Executive Henry Bertram, and the Pendleton Fiscal Court for all the hard work that went into making this a top priority public safety project.”
“The addition of a new ambulance building will be a major improvement to the healthcare system in the city of Falmouth and all of Pendleton County,” said Pendleton County Judge Henry Bertram. “Thank you to Governor Beshear and the many local officials who have made this project possible for our community.”
The $500,000 CDBG grant to construct the new ambulance building is administered by the Department for Local Government and funded through the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). Kentucky’s Congressional leaders’ continued support of the CDBG program ensures the availability of continued funding in Kentucky and nationally.
From Office of the Governor