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Jennings County will apply for ambulance ultrasounds and extrication-equipment grants
Summary
County officials approved applications for two cash grants: $15,000 from Subaru of Indiana for four ambulance ultrasounds and $27,083 from the Jennings County Community Foundation to replace decades-old extrication equipment.
Jennings County commissioners voted unanimously to allow county emergency services to apply for two cash grants: $15,000 through Subaru of Indiana to equip ambulances with four portable ultrasound units and $27,083 from the Jennings County Community Foundation for new extrication equipment.
County staff described the ultrasound request as $3,500 per unit with an additional $900 software package, and said the Subaru grant requires no local match. “We’re asking for permission to apply for $15,000 cash grant through Subaru Indiana for 4 ultrasounds to go on our ambulances,” a county staff member told the commission.
The commissioners and staff also discussed extrication tools used by first responders. “Our extrication equipment is 30 years old. The life on that is 15 years,” the same staff member said, noting modern vehicles and technology have outpaced the current tools. The requested $27,083 represents a “bare bones” package; the presenter said the department could buy additional equipment up to an estimated $47,000 but was keeping the grant ask conservative.
Commissioners noted the county had an existing $50,000 allocation in bond funds for extrication equipment and discussed how any grant award would affect that balance. One commissioner advised staff to track the grant award against the bond allocation so unused bond funds could be reallocated if the grant covered some purchases.
After discussion, a commissioner moved to allow staff to proceed with both grant applications; another commissioner seconded the motion, and the board approved it unanimously.
The approvals authorize applications only; they do not commit county matching funds. County staff said both requests are cash grants that do not require a local match, and that if the county receives awards, staff would return to the board for any budget reallocations required to accept and deploy the equipment.
The grants were discussed during the public agenda under requests to apply for outside funding. The county did not authorize purchases at the meeting; it approved only the applications.
