Committee OKs EMS cardiac monitors; $400,000 gift covers part of cost, remainder from county fund balance

Rutherford County public-safety commissioners voted Tuesday to replace ambulance cardiac monitors after the Christy Houston Foundation awarded $400,000 toward the purchase and county leaders agreed to cover the remaining cost from the county's unassigned fund balance. The purchase covers 25 monitors and includes an optional multi-year maintenance contract that the committee approved. The county's emergency medical services director presented two purchase options and noted the difference between them was mainly a multi-year maintenance contract. The vendor offered a trade-in credit that reduced the upfront cost; the presenter said trade-in value and other credits were included in the totals shown to the committee. Commissioners discussed device lifespan and operating cost before taking the vote. The committee approved a motion to fund the purchase using the foundation award plus unassigned fund balance, and the finance director and mayor were authorized to complete the necessary budget actions. Chairman Reed said he would vote in favor because he had personally used the equipment in emergencies. Michael Gaither, the county's EMS representative, provided the August operations report earlier in the meeting: EMS handled 3,844 calls in August, averaged a 7:01 response time and reported $1,034,924 collected for the month. Gaither also presented two written purchase totals to the committee; one total in the transcript was not readable and a second option including the maintenance contract was recorded as $1,027,003.50. The committee's minutes show the motion carried. The maker of the motion said the mayor and the finance director recommended using the unassigned fund balance to cover the difference; the committee recorded the vote and approved the purchase option that included ongoing maintenance. No additional ordinance or long-term financing action was taken at the meeting. A procurement schedule and final contract terms, including the precise lifecycle and warranty details for the monitors, will be handled through the county's purchasing and budget offices before vendor payment.