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Fire chief urges purchase of new cardiac monitors and AEDs, proposes 0% two‑year lease from EMS fund
Summary
Templeton's fire chief told the Capital Improvements Committee the town's ambulance cardiac monitors and AEDs have passed their usable service life and recommended buying two ZOLL monitors and two AEDs (quote total $129,102). He proposed a 0% two‑year lease to spread payments and said the EMS fund has reserves to cover the cost.
The fire chief told the Capital Improvements Committee on Oct. 2025 that Templeton's ambulance cardiac monitors and automated external defibrillators (AEDs) have exceeded their service life and are no longer serviceable, and he recommended buying replacement equipment from ZOLL. The quote in the packet covers two monitors and two defibrillators at a combined price of $129,102. He said the vendor has offered a 0% interest two‑year payment plan.
The chief said the monitors on the ambulances were bought around 2012–2013 and the manufacturer and vendor guidance limits service life to about eight years, after which service contracts and parts become difficult or impossible to obtain. He described attempts to obtain demonstrations and pricing from three manufacturers and said ZOLL's proposal was approximately $13,000 lower than the Stryker (Physio Control) quote presented to the committee.
"ZOLL has military contracts and will maintain parts longer, and for our caseload we expect a longer usable life," the fire chief said, explaining both cost and serviceability factored into his recommendation. He also noted ZOLL is a Massachusetts company, which he said could ease major repairs if needed.
On financing, the chief told the committee he reviewed department accounting records with the town accountant and that the EMS fund still has more than $500,000 available after prior equipment purchases. He recommended the two‑year, 0% option to preserve cash flow and because it would not increase overall cost. "This can 100% come out of the EMS fund," he said.
Committee members asked whether paramedics had a clear equipment preference. The chief said some paramedics preferred Stryker and others preferred ZOLL, and several area departments have moved to ZOLL in recent years; he characterized field preference as mixed but said compatibility with nearby agencies and parts availability were important considerations. He also said town‑owned AEDs in schools and municipal buildings could be converted later in a phased approach and that replacing only the ambulance units this season would be the most urgent need.
No formal purchase vote was recorded at the committee meeting; the presentation provided the committee with details and a vendor quote to inform future capital planning and potential warrant articles or procurement actions.
