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County of Dufferin to donate decommissioned ambulance to West Africa

October 2, 2025   ·   0 Comments

By Paula Brown, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

A decommissioned ambulance from the Dufferin County Paramedic Services (DCPS) is being repurposed and shipped to West Africa to help support global healthcare equity and humanitarian aid.

During their meeting on Sept. 25, Dufferin County Council received a report from DCPS Chief Paramedic Gary Staples on the donation of a decommissioned ambulance to U.S-based non-profit, Keneya Ni Kalen Institute (KNIKI), for use in rural Mali, West Africa.

“In light of the declining utility and resale value of decommissioned ambulances, this donation presents a meaningful and impactful alternative, one that extends the life of County assets while advancing global health equity,” reads the report to Council.

“By supporting KNIKI’s mission, Dufferin County would not only contribute to life-saving infrastructure in Mali, but also demonstrate leadership in sustainable, compassionate governance. This gesture would reflect the County’s commitment to responsible stewardship and its willingness to support innovative solutions that transcend borders and transform lives.”

Dufferin County Paramedic Services follows a five-year replacement cycle for ambulances, which is approved through the County’s capital plan. Due to global procurement delays, the local paramedic service has kept ambulances in service longer than typical, often exceeding seven years of use.

Keneya Ni Kalan Institute (KNIKI) is a U.S.-based non-profit dedicated to transforming healthcare and education access in rural Mali, West Africa. The non-profit was founded by Baissou Sissoko after losing his father and brother to preventable medical delays. KNIKI works to close systemic gaps in access to care through locally led and globally supported solutions.

County Coun. Philip Rentsch, Deputy Mayor for Grand Valley, asked about the decision to donate the decommissioned ambulance to a U.S-based non-profit rather than a Canadian charity doing similar work.

“I was approached by an organization in Ontario about the opportunity for a donation to this non-profit that is from the US. I had the opportunity to meet the individual who is the founder and he shared his story,” explained Chief Staples. “The reason why it went to this organization was because this company from Ontario approached me and asked if we would be willing to do this and how they would go about getting an ambulance to donate.”

Chief Staples added that the repurposing of the decommissioned ambulance would have no cost to Dufferin County, and would result in no financial gain, as the recipient is a non-for-profit.

“This Ontario company is funding the shipment, transport, and refurbishment of the ambulance to get it over to Africa,” said Staples.

Coun. Rentsch also asked how much decommissioned ambulances are typically sold for.

“It depends on the age of the ambulance. Since we’re having issues procuring since COVID, our ambulances that are now being decommission are over seven-year-old,” said Chief Staples, before adding that the last successful public sale of a decommissioned DCPS ambulance sold for $9,000.

According to the report, the DCPS decommissioned ambulance was listed for sale on GovDeals, but received no bids.

“I think it’s great that we’re doing it, and we should probably look into doing it more,” said Coun. Rentsch about the donation.

Council approved the report and directed Chief Staples to proceed with the donation of the decommissioned ambulance to Keneya Ni Kalan Institute.

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