The Madison County Emergency Medical Services agency is receiving $373,000 in federal money to purchase patient loading equipment.
The director of the ambulance service says it can help reduce the risk of injury to patients and EMS technicians.
The federal grant will be used to buy hydraulic lift equipment to replace the current manual loading system.
Madison County EMS Director Carlos Coyle says back injuries are the most common workplace-related ailment for his ambulance staff. Coyle says the county's emergency medical personnel respond to some 17,000 calls a year, or about 45 runs each day.
The new equipment will bring the ambulances into safety compliance.
Kentucky U.S. Senator Mitch McConnell contacted the U.S. Department of Homeland Security in support of the grant application. Coyle says the new equipment should arrive within the next three months.
