By LYNETTE SOWELL
Cove Leader-Press
The Copperas Cove city council approved the donation of two decommissioned ambulances to the Copperas Cove Independent School District and the Lampasas Independent School District.
During Tuesday’s meeting, the council took a vote to approve declaring two 2018 Dodge Ram 4500 Frazer units as surplus property. The ambulances have mileage of approximately 124,700 and 112,800 miles.
According to estimates from Rene Bates Auctioneers Inc., similar vehicles have sold at auction for between $5,000 and $9,000, depending on condition, mileage, and market factors.
However, Copperas Cove Fire Chief Doug Matthejetz said the value to the districts was more than the anticipated dollar amount the City could see if the ambulances were sent to auction.
“I think there will be a lot more value in donating to the school districts and potentially have students come work for the Copperas Cove Fire Department one day, or another area community and serve their public. There’s more value in that than the money we could possibly get out of the ambulances.”
On Wednesday, Copperas Cove ISD announced its EMT program, set to launch in the 2026–2027 school year.
The ambulances will be used strictly for instructional purposes, allowing students to gain hands-on experience in a realistic emergency response setting.
“It’s a lot different in a classroom compared to when you get put in a little box try to get everything done,” said Matthijetz. “So it gives a more realistic feel of it all. This resource would help ensure that students are better prepared to meet certification standards and enter the emergency services workforce with confidence and competence.”
With an actual ambulance, students will be able to practice patient assessment, lifting and moving techniques, equipment use, communication skills, and coordinated emergency response scenarios.
Lampasas ISD already has an established EMT program, and its students currently complete clinical hours on Copperas Cove ambulances.
Representatives from both CCISD and LISD were present at Tuesday’s meeting, along with educators, students, and even CCISD Superintendent Brent Hawkins, Deputy Superintendent of Operations and Support Jimmy Shuck, and trustees Heather Copeland and Timothy Traeger.
Amanda Crawley, CCISD’s Deputy Superintendent of Instructional Services, said a few words about the new program for the district.
She said that previously, students could take that EMT coursework through Central Texas College.
“We had been offering EMT, but our CTE program has grown so much and we have so much interest now for our staff and our students, we’re able to offer that program in house,” Crawley told the council. “So if you were to approve this tonight, it would allow us to have the proper equipment to train our students so that they could have that industry standard and be equipped to serve the city and serve in other communities.”
Liz Haviland is the CTE director at Lampasas High School, and she along with Austin Barber, a student lieutenant of operations, were present on Tuesday.
“I want to say thank you so much for even considering it. We have actually doubled our numbers in our EMT program, and we’re also working those numbers up on our fire department program,” she said. “This could really benefit our kids, just like chief said, you know, giving them that real life scenario, and we are able to do that on campus.”
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