The Burke County Board of Commissioners approved the purchase of four cardiac monitors for the Emergency Management Agency (EMA), accepting a recommendation to buy from ZOLL Medical after disqualifying the apparent low bid for offering recertified units instead of new units.

EMA leadership told the board that the apparent low bidder had provided pricing for recertified units described as “new” in their bid. EMA staff said ZOLL and county staff advised against accepting recertified units because of concerns about inconsistent parts and foreign imports that might not meet U.S. Food and Drug Administration standards. ZOLL’s proposal includes a five‑year “worry‑free” service agreement EMA staff estimated at about $34,000.

EMA recommended ZOLL because the county already leases eight monitors from that company and staff reported recent preventive maintenance covered under ZOLL’s agreement. Commissioners asked whether funds existed to cover the difference between the budgeted amount and ZOLL’s price; staff said funds were available. Commissioner Nick moved to approve the change to ZOLL Medical; Commissioner Lively seconded and the motion was approved.

Why it matters: cardiac monitors and their maintenance agreements affect emergency response reliability. EMA’s decision weighed warranty and service coverage over a small difference in purchase price.

Next steps: procurement will proceed with ZOLL and staff will execute the service agreement as described at the meeting.