This podcast contains comments from the August 8, 2023 Bryan city council meeting.

The August regular meeting of the Bryan city council votes included purchasing two vehicles for the fire department.

Fire chief Richard Giusti says a SUV is replacing a model with 90,000 miles that was used to start the department's new community paramedic program.

That led into an update on the paramedic program, which responds to non-emergency medical calls instead of sending an ambulance and a fire engine.

Giusti said the current community paramedic vehicle is making more runs than the ambulance at BFD's station five.

And more than half of the $102,000 dollar cost is to comply with requirements on how to equip the vehicle.

Giusti also said the SUV and a new pickup truck will be equipped for other fire department functions.

Most of the cost of the pickup truck, which is also $102,000 dollars, will be picked up by a federal grant. It will be used, according to background information from the city, by BFD's training division, rescue response, and wildland fire response.

Click HERE to read and download background information about BFD's new community paramedic vehicle.

Click HERE to read and download background information about BFD's new pickup truck.