BAKER CITY — Baker City is getting a new ambulance for $169,400.

The Baker City Council voted 5-0 Tuesday, Sept. 8, to approve the purchase. The 2021model, built on a Ford F-350 four-wheel drive chassis, will come from True North Emergency Equipment, which has an office in Hillsboro.

Installing radios and adding logos and other miscellaneous equipment will cost about $5,000, according to a report to councilors from Fire Chief Sean Lee.

The city budgeted $180,000 for the ambulance during the fiscal year that started July 1.

In his report, Lee wrote the fire department, which normally has four ambulances available, is down to two.

One ambulance has an engine failure that would cost about $23,000 to replace, Lee said. The engine on another ambulance, which had been reliable, seized on Friday, and Lee said it’s not yet clear what caused that problem.

While the city waits for the newly ambulance, which should arrive in about four months, Lee said he is arranging to borrow an ambulance from the La Grande Fire Department to ensure Baker City has three ambulances available.

It’s not uncommon for the department to have three ambulances on simultaneous calls, he said. Having four ambulances on calls at the same time is rare, he said.