Cumberland approves grant-funded temperature-controlled coolers for ambulances

The Cumberland Town Council on April 2, 2025, approved Resolution 25-22 authorizing the purchase of three temperature-controlled smart coolers for emergency medical vehicles at a cost not to exceed $18,249.

Chief (title given in the meeting as "Chief") told the council the coolers are monitored via cellular connection and can store vaccines and blood products; devices provide phone notifications for temperature variances and can maintain safe temperatures for up to 48 hours in extreme conditions. The chief said the department plans to place one cooler on each ambulance and keep a spare unit that can be used on a department SUV.

The chief said the purchase will be paid with a recently acquired community paramedicine grant and that the grant required no local match. Councilors asked whether the coolers replace existing equipment; the chief said this is a new project and that carrying blood products would be a future operational step. In response to a council question about whether other services in the state carry blood products, the chief said that the town would be among the first in the state to do so if it moves forward.

Councilor Shaw moved to approve the resolution; Councilor McGill seconded. The council voted 7-0 to approve Resolution 25-22.

The devices are intended to support vaccine storage for community health needs and enable future capability to carry blood products on ambulances if protocols, training and approvals allow. The council did not record additional conditions or required matches for the grant in the meeting minutes.