One month after the state decertified one of its private provider ambulances, Lake Station has bought its own ambulance.

The Board of Public Works authorized the $197,000 purchase of a new ambulance Friday from Crossroads Ambulance in Middlebury.

Mayor Christopher Anderson said the city has already received the ambulance and it’s outfitted with advanced life support equipment. It’s being housed at fire department, just west of City Hall, with the city’s other advanced life support ambulance.

An unannounced Jan. 16 Department of Homeland Security inspection found deficiencies in the ambulance provided under a contract by Kurtz Ambulance, of New Lenox, Ill.

Lake Station had to rely on neighboring Hobart to provide ambulance service from Jan. 16 to 20.

When that happened, city officials decided to sever the contract it ratified last May with Kurtz and run the service themselves.

He said the city is working out the details to end its contract with Kurtz. City Council members voiced support for the purchase in January.

Carole Carlson is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune.