Carmel approves nearly $1.25 million in fire-equipment purchases including mechanical CPR units
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Summary
The Board of Public Works and Safety approved purchases totaling about $1.25 million for the Carmel Fire Department, including Lucas mechanical CPR devices, new power-load cots and Zoll cardiac monitors, which officials said have increased return of spontaneous circulation rates locally.
The Board of Public Works and Safety approved two purchases totaling about $1,254,000 for equipment for the Carmel Fire Department on May 7.
Chief Joel Thacker, Fire Chief, Carmel Fire Department, told the board the purchases include Stryker power-load cots, stair chairs and Lucas mechanical CPR devices (Stryker Sales LLC, $464,726.80), and a piggyback contract for Zoll cardiac monitors and accessories (Zoll Medical Corporation, $789,207.98). He asked the board to approve both items.
Why it matters: Thacker said the Lucas devices have substantially improved cardiac-arrest outcomes in Carmel. "Since the implementation of these devices, we have seen an increase of what we call ROSC, so return of spontaneous circulation ... from the mid 30 percent range to nearly 60 percent," he said, adding that the nationwide average is about 25 to 30 percent.
Thacker described the monitors as critical for diagnosing heart events in the field and expediting hospital care: "Many times when we can basically diagnose a specific type of STEMI or heart block, we're bypassing the emergency room. We're going directly to cath lab with these individuals. So it reduces the amount of time that heart damage and death can occur." He said the cooperative purchasing agreement reduces unit cost by about $13,000 to $15,000 per monitor and that many of the current devices are at end of life.
The board approved both purchases by voice vote. The meeting record shows the motion and second and the chair calling "All in favor? Aye. Motion carries." No roll-call vote or opposing votes were recorded in the transcript.
Details and next steps: The Stryker award was described as a direct purchase request; the Zoll purchase was brought as an intent to piggyback off a group purchasing organization. Thacker said trade-ins and cooperative pricing will lower net replacement costs. The board did not attach additional conditions or ask for further reporting in the portion of the transcript covering these items.
Officials who spoke on the item: Joel Thacker, Fire Chief, Carmel Fire Department. The motion was moved and seconded by board members recorded in the public transcript as the motion maker and seconder.
