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EMS director urges county to back Stryker lease for ambulances, citing high replacement costs for monitors and lift systems
Summary
EMS staff recommended a leasing arrangement that would replace stretchers, monitors and lift systems across the county—s ambulances; staff said new cardiac monitors can exceed $50,000 apiece and electric lift systems reduce worker injury risk.
Alleghany County EMS staff made the case to commissioners for a lease arrangement (Stryker lease) to update ambulance equipment across the county, arguing that leasing can reduce upfront capital outlays and ensure periodic equipment refreshes.
An EMS staff member described the lease program as covering monitors, lift systems for loading stretchers, stair chairs and automated CPR devices (Lucas devices) so that all four ambulances could be equipped and kept current. He noted that modern cardiac monitors can cost more than $50,000 each and that a full replacement cost for multiple monitors would quickly reach the low hundreds of thousands of dollars if purchased outright.
EMS staff also discussed the county—s stretched capacity and the physical risk to staff: stretchers rated for 800 pounds still often require manual lifting to get patients into the ambulance, and electric lift systems substantially reduce the physical strain and the county—s exposure to workers—comp claims. “The stretchers that we have are rated at 800 pounds... That—s why in EMS world, back injuries is the most prevalent thing to cause workers' comp claims,” the EMS staff member said.
The EMS presenter recommended the lease after analysis that considered equipment depreciation and technological obsolescence; commissioners asked budgetary questions and requested further detail on lease terms and annual cost vs. purchase scenarios. No final funding decision was recorded at the meeting.
