T-L Photos/GAGE VOTA Yorkville Fire Chief Jesse Cordery tells council about the various issues the village’s only ambulance is experiencing.

YORKVILLE — For the better half of a year, the village of Yorkville has been without an ambulance.

Fire Chief Jesse Cordery said he first noticed that the ambulance started having electronic difficulties in mid-2024.

“First the screens started going out, getting dimmer and dimmer to the point that I couldn’t see them,” Cordery said. “I got a quote for the screens to get fixe,d but around the same time the squad started acting up more and more with not starting or shutting down mid-drive.”

He added that the ambulance has major electrical issues that could potentially require a total electrical replacement. He said the control panels, multiplex nodes and wiring harnesses need to be repaired.

In addition to a motherboard, he said the ambulance needs three new Vista IV screens with a program change due to the current Vista IIIs in the squad being obsolete.

“You’re looking at a minimum of $25,000 in repairs,” Cordery said. “With the current age and condition of our squad, we have to wonder — is it worth putting that much money into a 20-year-old squad or looking for a newer used one?”

Cordery asked council during its regularly scheduled meeting Tuesday what the budget would be if the village would look into buying a newer used ambulance.

Councilman Doug Delvecchio asked Cordery if he would be able to provide council an exact quote for how much it would cost to fix the electronic issues.

Cordery responded that the cost can significantly vary, but he believes that the issues aren’t strictly electronic. He said that he’s not against getting a quote for the electrical issues, but he believes that the engine has issues as well.

Delvecchio said that another option is that the village could join the Tiltonsville Fire District alongside Rayland.

Cordery replied that at the district meeting last month, the district wanted to know what Yorkville’s goals are and what the village plans to do when it has an emergency since it doesn’t have an operating ambulance.

Mayor Sandy Reasbeck and council members all agreed that residents should have the opportunity to vote on whether the village should join the Tiltonsville Fire District during the next election.

Although council and Reasbeck agreed that it should be on the ballot, no official motion was made to place the issue to be on the ballot.

“We definitely want to correct the problem right now. We don’t have an ambulance or have EMS, and we are trying to correct that,” Reasbeck said.

She added that she took it on herself to contact The Breyer Mobile Rescue & Care Clinic to ask what it would cost to get the electrical issues of the ambulance fixed.

Reasbeck said Breyer told her that if the ambulance was brought to it, the company could run a diagnostic check and won’t do any work on the ambulance until it gets confirmation from the village.

“That’s not the only issue at this point,” Cordery said. “You still have three screens that are Vista III screens that are now obsolete that you’re going to have to put Vista IV screens into it and then reprogram them.”

He said that alone will cost the village $15,000.

“We’re doing the best we can with the resources that we have,” Cordery said.

Councilman Dave Spong replied that council understands and isn’t saying that the department isn’t doing its best.

Former volunteer assistant fire chief Danny DiCenzo said he believes the village should join the Tiltonsville Fire District. He said it makes sense for the village to join, especially without a working ambulance because that’s who is responding to emergencies in the village when an ambulance is needed.

Cordery added that due to the age and condition of the ambulance and a lack of certified EMTs, the village is relying on mutual aid from neighboring departments.

“We’ve been exploring options on a long-term solution, but at the end of the day, we can’t make any decision as a department. Council has to make the decisions,” he said. “Our top priority is and will continue to be the safety and well-being of our residents, and we’re committed to improving every day.”

Council decided that Cordery needs to get a quote on how much it would cost the village to fix the ambulance and present it to council at its next meeting. Upon hearing the quote, council will decide what the next steps should be.