The primary purpose of an ambulance is to provide emergency care to patients who are being transported to a hospital. Ambulances, however, are large vehicles that aren’t able to respond to an emergency as fast as smaller vehicles. To get around this problem, EMTs often make use of a rapid-response SUV, or Flycar, allowing them to arrive ahead of an ambulance and in some cases resolve emergencies not requiring transportation off-site, freeing up the ambulance to respond to other emergencies. RPI Ambulance is currently seeking to replace their current flycar, a 2007 Ford Explorer, and has estimated the cost to be between $60,000 and $80,000, including the cost to upfit the vehicle for emergency response. They aim to purchase the new vehicle before the end of the Spring 2026 semester, but currently only have $23,000—pending further fundraising. As a hedge against the possibility that they aren’t able to purchase the flycar by the end of the semester, the six EMTs who double as E-Board representatives dug up a decades-old Union financial workaround. 

At a previous meeting, the Executive Board introduced a motion to grant RPI Ambulance a budget rollover into Fiscal Year 2027, something that E-Board has not done in over 25 years. If passed, the motion would grant RPI Ambulance the ability to roll over any unused funds from FY26 into their reserves account, instead of directing them into the Union Facilities Reserves. The motion stated that 15 percent of the FY26 subsidy would be allotted for them to possibly purchase their car in Fall 2026. The motion was tabled until their meeting this past Wednesday. 

Vice President for Board Operations and RPI Ambulance’s Vice President Joseph Bowers ’25, ’26G reiterated the case for the budget rollover before the rest of E-Board. Refuting concerns from some E-Board representatives around the lack of precedent for budget rollovers, he argued that as RPI Ambulance is one of the most well-funded service clubs on campus, not many other clubs are equipped to make large purchases like this one, or like their $197,999 ambulance purchase in 2024. Five E-Board representatives, as members of RPI Ambulance, abstained from the ensuing discussion due to their conflict of interest. The remaining nine E-Board representatives deliberated over the precedent this motion would set as well as concerns around displaying bias toward RPI Ambulance, as nearly one-third of E-Board is involved with RPI Ambulance, including President of the Union Isabele Lieber ’25, ’26G. The remaining E-Board representatives brought up numerous alternative ideas, including the possibility of capping the rollover at a percentage of RPI Ambulance’s current budget, or denying it altogether. The motion failed 3-6-6, as the majority of E-Board agreed that it makes more sense to revisit this issue next semester if RPI Ambulance actually reaches a point where they need additional funding. There is a possibility that the Facilities Reserve budget could be used by the succeeding E-Board to help RPI Ambulance complete their purchase next semester, if necessary.

On another note, RPI Rounak, RPI’s Bollywood Fusion Dance Team, requested a retroactive subsidy of $6,256 to fund their February 8 trip to Bloomington Ki Badtameezi, Indiana University’s Bollywood dance competition. The club delayed booking flights until just under three weeks prior to departure, bringing their total trip cost to nearly $14,000 for 19 members. The E-Board weighed between saddling the club’s dancers with the entire cost of the trip and taking on the cost of the club’s inefficient travel themselves, eventually settling on a $1,000 additional subsidy to supplement the cost of travel. RPI Rounak’s initial request was for $6,256, which would satisfy the Union’s typical policy to supplement 50 percent of the cost of student travel expenses. E-Board subsequently passed a motion to put RPI Rounak on probation, citing poor financial planning from club leadership. As a result, RPI Rounak's Union account is frozen, until their outstanding trip fees has been paid off and until club officers complete additional financial training with the Union's Business Administrator Martha McElligott. Once this training is complete, the PU holds the power to restore RPI Rounak to active status.

E-Board also voted unanimously in favor of a additional subsidy from the Rensselaer Music Association of $378 from the FY26 Club Contingencies budget to allow them to attend the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra performance in New York City on March 14, 2026 at 7:30 pm.

This E-Board meeting was held on Wednesday, February 18, 2026. The E-Board meets every Wednesday at 7:30 pm in the Student Union Room 3202.