In the months leading up to his death earlier this year, Radville area farmer Frank Rak had a firsthand perspective on the need for a new ambulance for the local Emergency Medical Services (EMS) crew.

"He'd ridden with us a few times in the last few months that he was alive," said Jim Bjorklund, an EMT out of Radville. "He called (the ambulance) 'the bus.' He figured we needed a new bus that rode better."

With his passing, Rak made good on his wishes, providing more than $110,000 for the purchase of a new, second ambulance for the Radville EMS crew.

The new unit has been operating since Oct. 27, when it was certified for use in the province.

Painted on its side is the phrase "Donated by Frank Rak," honouring the area farmer who immigrated to Canada from Poland following the Second World War.

Bjorklund said they're not entirely sure how much was donated by Rak, because the process of paying for it all isn't completely finished. But the cost of the ambulance was around $110,000, Bjorklund added.

The Radville EMS was started in 1999, and is classified as a volunteer service; although the three-man crew are always on call, they aren't always located in their garage and have other jobs.

Previously, they had been using an ambulance from Saskatoon, but Rak's bequest had pushed ahead a plan to replace that unit, which is now used as their stand-by.

"Initially, when we built the new garage, there were two stalls in there. It was always our plan, at some point, to have two units here," said Bjorklund.

The cost of equipping the ambulance was paid for in part by Rak's estate, but the majority of that cost came from Radville's rodeo committee, who contributed $45,000, and the donations of other individuals and community service groups.

The Radville EMS crew were personally involved in the manufacture of their new ambulance, as the three technicians, along with their doctor, traveled to Saskatoon touring Crestline's factory and going over the specifications of the new unit.

It was important to have a hand in the manufacturing process because their ambulance service needs to be very self-sufficient, said Bjorklund.

"On perfect roads, it's an hour out to the corners of our service area. When we get there, we have to have a lot of equipment on board; quite often, our doctor goes with us if we anticipate a critical patient. Our ambulance ends up practically being a mobile operating room for rural service," he said.

Bjorklund said he thinks small rural EMS sometimes don't get the credit they're due, because they're the first line of defence if a person is injured or sick.

"Donations like what Frank made are very important for that reason, because this is for the people that live in his community," he said.

Bjorklund noted the Radville EMS also received much support from the Sun Country Health Region and the Radville Marian Health Centre board.