The Wilson County MA Committee on Tuesday authorized an EMS equipment replacement program that county staff said will update aging cardiac monitors, power-load stretchers, stair chairs and automatic external defibrillators (AEDs) across the county’s emergency fleet.

Brian, the county director presenting the plan, told the committee the current cardiac monitors are about seven and a half years old and many power-load systems are at or beyond recommended service lives. "I would like to request approval for $2,400,000, not to exceed that," Brian said, explaining the package includes warranties and a single-vendor procurement that he said will reduce surprise repair costs.

Why it matters: Brian cited repair examples — including a pump replacement that cost about $11,000 and monitor board replacements of roughly $4,500 — to argue replacements and extended warranties would be more economical than repeated repairs. The plan groups purchases under a previously approved buying group (Sabik) and includes trade-in credits and vendor financing to reduce near-term budget impact.

What was approved: Committee members approved a motion to authorize the equipment purchase program with a not-to-exceed authorization of $2.4 million and to pursue a four-year capital outlay note and the vendor's 0% financing option. The motion was moved and seconded and carried by voice vote with no recorded opposition.

Cost details and offsets: Brian presented line-item totals and said buying the package now would save about $212,000 compared with delayed purchase. He reported an estimated trade-in credit of about $313,400 and an AED project cost of $140,700 that will be covered with opioid-abatement funds. He also said a state EMS grant of roughly $23,000 was confirmed but the final award per provider could be higher because the state’s allocation will be divided among applicants; the exact per‑agency amount remains uncertain.

Financing and timing: Stryker (vendor letter in the packet) offered 0% financing over four years, with payments deferred until delivery, installation and training are complete. Brian said the county would structure payments through a capital outlay note and expected delivery and implementation would take several months after order.

Operational scope: The purchase would replace 15 power-load units, refresh the county fleet cardiac monitors, align CPR devices with preventive maintenance and replacement schedules, and supply AEDs compatible with sheriff and fire department equipment to reduce interoperability issues.

Next steps: Staff will finalize procurement details, confirm final grant amounts and implement the capital outlay note financing. Delivery, installation and training timelines will be set after contracts are executed. The committee adjourned after the vote.

(Reporting note: direct quotes and program numbers are drawn from the committee’s director presentation.)