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By JOYANNA LOVE/ Senior Staff Writer

The Clanton Fire Department will soon have a new tool for treating patients.

The Clanton City Council approved moving forward with the purchase of a side-by-side ATV and a specialized medical bed to set in the bed of the vehicle.

Clanton Fire Chief David Driver said the medical bed could also be removed if the vehicle needed to be used for something else.

He has researched prices and said the vehicle would cost $14,000-$18,000 and an additional $4,000 for the medical bed.

“It will be used mostly for football games, if we have an injured player or someone in the stands,” Driver said. “It will accommodate a backboard or somebody injured.”

There would also be space for someone to sit near the patient and administer care.

The vehicle could also be used in search and rescue in the woods if needed.

Driver said he had included funding for the vehicle in his budget for this fiscal year.

The fire department has been using a four-wheeler that belongs to EMA, but Driver said it does not have a way to transport patients.

Also during the meeting, the Council approved:

• Renewing its Nutrition Contract Agreement with the Middle Alabama Area Agency on Aging for the Senior Center on Enterprise Road.
• $30,000 quarterly contribution to the public library.
• Purchasing a new garbage truck off the international bid list.
• A beer and wine sales for off premise consumption license for the Dollar General being built on Highway 22.