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Albany County accepts $12,500 grant to buy respirator fit-test machine for nursing center
Summary
The committee approved acceptance of a $12,500 Workforce Development Institute grant to purchase a fit-test machine for Shaker Place Rehabilitation and Nursing Center; the total quoted cost is $22,335 and grant covers about half.
The Audit & Finance Committee approved acceptance of a $12,500 grant from the Workforce Development Institute and authorized an agreement with TSI Incorporated to buy a respirator fit-test machine for Shaker Place Rehabilitation and Nursing Center.
The nut graf: County staff said the machine will allow nursing center staff to conduct annual fit testing to determine which N95-style respirator fits each employee best, a process previously handled by borrowing equipment from the health department.
Sean Dillon, representing the nursing center, said the last quote for the machine was $22,335 and the grant will pay roughly half of the upfront cost; the purchase includes a five-year warranty. Dillon described the machine’s operation: it measures particulate (salt) in a controlled test and reports whether a particular mask fit provides an acceptable seal.
Legislators asked basic operational questions about how the machine works and when it had been used previously; Dillon said the county had borrowed a similar machine during the COVID-19 pandemic and that the grant makes local ownership more cost effective.
Ending: The committee approved the grant acceptance unanimously; staff said the nursing center will proceed with procurement and reimbursement under the grant terms.
