Gold Cross Ambulance is lending a helping hand to the Utah Fire and Rescue Academy in the form of a free ambulance for training paramedics and EMTs.

The company will give the ambulance to the academy at a ceremony at 1:30 p.m. on Tuesday. The academy, which is based out of Utah Valley University, trains firefighters and emergency medical personnel from across the state.

The 1991 Ford ambulance costs about $5,000, according to Gary Wise, the academy's program manager.

The Utah Fire and Rescue Academy has an annual budget of more than $2 million, which comes from a fund supplied by taxes on fire insurance. But because so many other expensive training necessities are higher on the academy's list of priorities, it would normally be unlikely to buy a used ambulance itself, Wise said.

"A vehicle like this is normally very low on the priority because of the other training that we like to provide," Wise said. "So this is very nice to be able to have it donated to us so we can keep that $5,000 available."

• Jeremy Duda can be reached at 344-2561 or jduda@heraldextra.com.