Three Forks Area Ambulance Service receives new Stryker Power Load Cot

There was some amazing recent news for the Three Forks Area Ambulance (TFAA) Service with the arrival and installation of a new Stryker Power Load Cot.

According to Barbara Mutter of TFAA, the $53,000 cot was purchased with American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding from Gallatin County.

Mutter is excited about the new equipment, describing it as the "Mercedes" of cots, and said it will save TFAA personnel's shoulders, backs, and knees.

Mutter also stressed the importance of the cot's locking system. She said some of the older ambulances across the country have had their cots come loose with patients in them, and OSHA wanted all ambulances to update their locking systems by December of 2021, adding the deadline was extended since a lot of services did not have the funding to get new cots. She said that TFAA is now OSHA-compliant with the new cot.

Mutter said she worked really hard to convince the Gallatin County Commission about the importance of the ARPA funding, and it is great finally seeing the product installed.

"Christmas came early," she said.

Along with the new cot, TFAA is using a portion of the $175,000 ARPA funding to pay 10 percent in matching funds to the Montana Department of Transportation for a grant to purchase a new ambulance.