By Alan M. Petrillo
Watauga County (NC) Emergency Services is a new agency covering 312 square miles of territory, having taken over emergency medical services (EMS) coverage of that area from a private EMS contractor in December of 2025. While the agency was able to acquire a few Type 1 ambulances from the former EMS provider, it needed to get new vehicles into its fledgling fleet so it turned to American Emergency Vehicles (AEV) for help.
Will Holt, director of Watauga County Emergency Services, says the agency was able to quickly get three stock Type 1 advanced life support (ALS) ambulances from AEV with the last unit being put in service recently. “We serve a population of 56,000, but that grows considerably with commuters and tourists to the area,” Holt points out. “We have 80 staff members—paramedics, advanced Emergency Medical Technicians (AEMTs), and basic EMTs — crewing the rigs, divided on four shifts on a 24/72 hour schedule.”
AEV built three Type 1 ambulances on 2025 Ford F-350 two-door cabs and 4×4 chassis for Watauga County (NC) Emergency Services. One of the units is shown here after handing off a patient to a medical flight crew. (Photos courtesy of Watauga County Emergency Services)
Holt adds, “We have three EMS stations with a fourth under construction, and the three AEV Type 1 ALS ambulances are the main rigs in each station, backed up by a couple of older AEV Type 1 Traumahawks, and three Frazer Type 1 remounts. The transition to Watauga County Emergency Services providing ALS service happened very quickly and AEV was very helpful in getting us new ambulances.”
Randy Barr, AEV’s director of sales, says that the Watauga County Emergency Services Type 1 ambulances are built on a 2025 Ford F-350 two-door cab and 4×4 chassis with a Liquid Spring rear suspension, has a 6.7-liter Power Stroke® V8 turbo diesel engine with a TorqShift® 10-speed automatic transmission and a diesel engine exhaust brake.
Barr notes that the rigs have a 6-inch curbside body drop with a two step entry at the curbside door, diamond plate cab running boards, an AugoGard anti-theft system, entry power door locks, a backup camera, and a Vanner 1,100-watt Pure Sine Wave inverter.
He says the interior of the patient module has a ceiling ducted heating, ventilating and air conditioning (HVAC) system, a digital thermostat control, recessed overhead grab rails, and vacuum formed upholstery on the CPR seat, attendant’s seat, and the two position squad bench, with all seating positions protected by Per4Max® four-point harnesses.
Lighting on the AEV Type 1 ambulances includes Whelen LED warning lights, scene lights, and work lights at the rear of the rig.
Juan Bowen, Watauga County Emergency Services EMS chief, says the agency had AEV make some interior cabinetry changes to the stock units to better fit the agency’s work routines, adding a standalone heater in the patient module, and a full bumper brush guard. “We also had them install a Stryker® PowerLOAD system for our Stryker Power PRO cot,” Bowen observes.
Holt notes that while the three frontline AEV Type 1 ambulances that Watauga County Emergency Services is running have the traditional curbside door arrangement, the agency is exploring the door-forward design on the curbside for future purchases, as well as upgrading the chassis to a Ford F-450 4×4 model.
The interior of the patient compartment on one of Watauga County’s new AEV Type 1 rigs.
ALAN M. PETRILLO is a Tucson, Arizona-based journalist who has served as a newspaper reporter, editor, and magazine writer and is a member of the Fire Apparatus & Emergency Equipment Advisory Board. He served 22 years with the Verdoy (NY) Fire Department, including in the position of chief.
