Karns City Regional Ambulance Service crews have a temporary new look while their ambulance is in the shop, thanks to a neighboring EMS agency.

Karns City will have an East Butler EMS ambulance intermittently for up to a month while one of their ambulances was sent back to the manufacturer for a paint issue, according to Karns City EMS Chief Mark Lauer.

“It’s the rule of everybody can survive with each other. Nobody can survive on their own,” Lauer said. “We all need each other in this business.”

Karns City usually operates two ambulances for daytime shifts.

Missing an ambulance likely wouldn’t have affected emergency responses, Lauer said, but where it could have had an effect was in their coverage of special events, such as the Bruin, Chicora and Petrolia community days, the North Washington Rodeo and football games.

“When we have the availability of additional personnel, we put a second crew on, Lauer said. “Our goal is to eventually have two crews Monday through Saturday.”

The two services have had a handshake agreement for years to lend each other an ambulance when the need arises, Lauer said.

“Those guys are awesome to work with,” he said.

Attempts to reach the chief of East Butler EMS were unsuccessful.