Southampton Village Volunteer Ambulance Corps members say they are in need of a new facility that meets modern demands, and they plan to display that necessity at an open house on Saturday.
"We are in need of a new building because we have outgrown our current space and it has become quite inadequate," Second Assistant Chief Rick Fowler said.
Ambulance volunteers will provide tours of their current Meeting House Lane facility for the public, put on demonstrations, and go over a presentation they made to the Village Board in July that explains why they require a new facility, he said. "We will also be answering any questions the public might have regarding our building."
The ambulance corps has sought a new facility for several years, but the economy faltered and a new headquarters for the Southampton Fire Department took priority.
Among the building's shortcomings, according to ambulance members, are that the ambulance bays, of which there are only two, can barely fit modern vehicles that are a lot bigger than the building was designed for. The bays also lack a proper exhaust system.
Other deficiencies that volunteers mention are that the training and recreation rooms cannot accommodate all the members, there is no kitchen and there are no sleeping quarters for members who are on call overnight.
The open house will be Saturday, Aug. 18, between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m..