Sycamore donates ambulance to Indian Valley Vocational Center in Sandwich

SYCAMORE – Indian Valley Vocational Center in Sandwich is poised to receive a new vehicle to work and learn on after a donation from the city of Sycamore.

Sycamore City Council approved the donation of a retired ambulance to the vocational center Monday night in a 6-0 vote. City manager Michael Hall said the donation was possible because the ambulance Sycamore Fire ordered 18 months ago arrived earlier this year, allowing the city to retire the 2002 ambulance.

“Indian Valley Vocational Center would like to receive that, and we’d like to donate it to them. They plan to use it for their students, for [emergency medical technician] student training. And also for mechanic students, as they try to repair this 22-year-old ambulance,” Hall said before the City Council voted on the matter.

Students who complete their training at the vocational center will be able to apply to be a part of the Sycamore Fire Department’s apprenticeship program, according to a Sycamore Fire Department news release. Once in the program, apprentices will experience life in a fire station, respond to calls and further their firefighting and emergency medical technician education.

On Monday, Sycamore Mayor Steve Braser said he thinks the donation sounded nice, and Hall said the city didn’t see a better use for the vehicle.

“We don’t think we’d get much if we tried to sell it. There’s some mechanical problems that would probably not allow us to sell it for very much,” Hall said.