New Ambulance Takes Shape On A Meaningful Date

A new ambulance expected to arrive at the Earleigh Heights Volunteer Fire Company (EHVFC) next spring began its journey in Ohio on a significant date: September 11, 2026 - the 25th anniversary of the terrorist attacks.

EHVFC purchased the ambulance chassis through Bob Bell Ford in Glen Burnie and learned that it was scheduled to be built on September 11 at Ford Motor Company’s Ohio Assembly Plant near Cleveland.

EHVFC’s Assistant Chief Craig Blake, who is also a Ford employee, contacted the plant after learning about the timing and worked with plant leaders to recognize the occasion. Plant leaders welcomed EHVFC representatives to watch the chassis move through production.

Blake traveled to Ohio with Captain James Michie, the department’s apparatus committee chairperson, and EMS Coordinator Richard “Craig” Lindsay. The group toured the facility and watched the chassis reach “body drop,” the stage at which the cab is lowered onto and joined with the chassis.

They also followed the vehicle through a section of the assembly line known as “flat top,” where workers make final connections and adjustments, add fluids, complete programming, and perform checks before the vehicle starts for the first time.

“When we were standing next to it there, it was probably about 15 minutes from firing up for the first time, which we did witness, and we saw it drive away and go out for all of the vehicle testing,” Blake said.

The department also created commemorative stickers marking the occasion, distributing hundreds to plant employees. A larger 2-foot version is expected to become part of a “pride wall” at the Ohio facility. The chassis will next be sent to the Houston area, where the ambulance manufacturer will complete the vehicle. The department expects to receive the finished ambulance in March.