Benton takes ownership of ambulance donated by West Frankfort

West Frankfort Mayor Tom Jordan and Benton Mayor Fred Kondritz share a laugh Wednesday afternoon outside the Benton Fire Department, where Benton leaders held a formal thank-you session for the ambulance pictured behind the mayors that the city of West Frankfort recently donated to the city of Benton. Benton will use the 2004-model ambulance to relieve some of the reliance on Abbot EMS. 'We expect 30 to 50 times a year to be able to respond and take our citizens to the hospital,' Benton Fire Chief Shane Cockrum said. In pay-it-forward fashion, Benton recently donated a retired fire engine to the village of Cypress.
Photo by Geoffrey Ritter