Dream for new ambulance facility nears reality

Public input needed during hearing

A few short months ago, the Ritzville Volunteer Ambulance Association (RVAA) launched a campaign to raise the funds needed to acquire property and eventually construct a building to house the ambulances used to serve Ritzville and the surrounding area.

This week, the group receives the deed to the land where they will construct the facility. They also report they have raised half of the funds necessary for the construction of the building.

Phil Bowman, president of the volunteer group, said the next step is to collect public comment during a hearing on Wednesday, March 27.

While local fundraising continues, the group has submitted a grant application to the USDA Rural Development division, seeking matching funds to make construction of the new facility a reality.

The public hearing for the proposed project is a requirement of the grant application process. The meeting will be held at 7 p.m. in the Washington Association of Wheat Growers conference room. Bowman said the association will have information about the construction project, what type of building it plans to raise and why the project is necessary.

“If they have a question or an opinion, we would like them to be there,” Bowman said. “We would like as many people as possible to show up and give their support.”

The association’s ambulances, which are used for emergency medical calls in the city and the rural surrounding areas, are currently housed in a building owned by the City of Ritzville. The ambulances occupy one bay in the former fire station building that also houses a variety of equipment owned by the city’s public works department.

The RVAA has already enjoyed some major support for its effort to raise the funds needed to construct its own facility. Bowman said the plan is to build a 30-foot by 50-foot structure with bay doors for the ambulances. The building will include a meeting/classroom, restroom and possibly a show facility for the volunteer emergency medical technicians.

In the future, Bowman said the group would like to offer low cost CPR classes for the general public.

He was excited to talk about the early support for the effort. “The community has been tremendous,” Bowman said. “We have collected $20,000 and have $10,400 in pledges.”

Bowman estimates the cost of site prep and construction to be $60,000.

He said Union Oil California helped make the project a possibility when it agreed to sell the lot at 315 East First Avenue for what Bowman called a “song.”

During the early planning stages of the project, the RVAA learned that the vacant ground, which had been for sale for more than 20 years, had been forgotten about by its owner.

The association originally contacted Union Oil California with the hopes that the company would donate the land. When the company responded, the answer wasn’t exactly what the RVAA had wanted to hear. Union Oil declined to donate the ground, and instead said it would sell the ground and asked Bowman to make an offer.

The RVAA submitted a $2,000 offer and were soon stunned to find out that it had been accepted.

The land acquisition was just one surprise. Bowman repeated his pleasant surprise at the community response to the RVAA’s letter seeking donations for the project.

“We received 80 checks ranging from $15 to a couple of thousand dollars,” he said. “I think a lot of these came from people, where at one time or another, we have been to their home and picked up a family member.”

Bowman said he was truly touched by the outpouring of support by citizens.

“It really shows the kind of support the people of this town have given us,” he said.

While the RVAA is hopeful they will receive a matching grant from the USDA, the group is still actively seeking and accepting contributions.

Anyone interested in making a donation to the nonprofit organization, can do so a couple of ways. Checks can be mailed to: RVAA, P.O. Box 352, Ritzville, WA 99169.

Donations can also be given directly to Bowman or any member of the association.

Checks should be made payable to the RVAA.