Cole County's ambulance system soon will get a quick response vehicle (QRV).
Director Mike Shirts told county commissioners on Monday the vehicle would help a supervisor get to "a large-scale, or medium-scale, accident where we have two or three ambulances (and need) supervisor mobility to oversee that type of incident."
Also, the vehicle could provide initial care at an emergency during the July 4th festivities or the Jefferson City Jaycees Cole County Fair, without tying up a full ambulance crew.
"Right now, we're committing ambulances where we really don't need to," he said. "We can make a more efficient operation by having one person, and a response vehicle, that would handle that."
Shirts said the new vehicle would cost about $32,000.
Commissioner Jeff Hoelscher wondered why it needed to be a larger four-wheel-drive vehicle, capable of seating six people, and not a smaller, sports-utility vehicle.