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Upson County approves $32,011 purchase of battery-powered extrication tools for EMA
Summary
The board approved a sole-source purchase of battery-powered extrication equipment for the county Emergency Management Agency for $32,011, funded from the county’s Level 1 balance; commissioners recorded the motion and voted in favor.
The Upson County Board of Commissioners approved the Emergency Management Agency’s request to purchase battery-powered extrication tools Jan. 28, voting to authorize a sole-source purchase totaling $32,011.
The emergency management director explained the county’s existing tools are outdated, that the recommended brand interoperates with neighboring agencies’ equipment and that the purchase exceeds staff spending authority so it requires board approval. The director said the new battery-powered tools avoid ethanol-gas pump issues experienced with older equipment and that the tools are used sparingly—about two to three times a year—yet are essential when needed, such as in fatal vehicle-extraction incidents.
The director also said the county could donate older equipment to volunteer fire departments, though older tools have limitations: a service technician told the county the current tools cannot cut vehicles newer than 2015. Finance staff stated the purchase will be paid from the county’s Level 1 balance; the director said the balance is currently $703,000 (a commissioner later said $733,000 in a separate remark). A motion to approve the purchase passed by recorded vote.
“These new tools are battery powered. We don't have to worry about the ethanol gas,” the emergency management director said in describing the operational benefit. Commissioners asked about frequency of use, disposition of the old tools and confirmed the funding source before voting.
