CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — Corpus Christi's emergency response capability has been beefed up in a big way.
Wednesday morning the Corpus Christi Fire Department was presented with the keys to a new AMBUS. That's an acronym for ambulance bus.
It's just what is sounds like, an ambulance the size of a bus. The state of Texas awarded the AMBUS to the city as part of a statewide program that is unique in the entire country.
The AMBUS will be operated by the fire department. In times of emergency it can transport up to 20 people.
Corpus Christi Fire Chief Robert Rocha says, "It's critical for during hurricane season we'll be able to evacuate people, it's also critical during a mass casualty event. We'll be able to send our unit with our paramedics and be able to give some assistance."
Rocha says this is an example of what happens when the community comes together for the benefit of the public. He says the fire department, elected officials and the state came together to make this day possible.
