Westmoreland supervisors approve $332,653 EMS equipment purchase; county rolls out in‑house drug‑kit program

The Westmoreland County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously at its December meeting to approve a $332,653.02 purchase to replace mission‑critical emergency medical services equipment, including cardiac diagnostics and automated CPR devices.

Chief Blake Byrd told the board the replacements are necessary to maintain in‑field diagnostic accuracy and to improve survival in cardiac arrest, saying the automated CPR devices “have about a 3 to 1 conversion rate” for manpower. The board discussed maintenance schedules, oversight and the timing of the purchase; the chief said equipment life spans are typically 10–12 years and units are checked daily at shift change. The purchase will be funded from the county general fund, the board was told.

The board also heard that the county completed a multi‑month effort to establish an in‑house medication kit program after changes from state regulators and federal agencies. Chief Byrd said the county obtained DEA registration, updated protocols with its medical director and finished compliance checks, and that all county medic units were carrying the new drug boxes as of the meeting day. “At 12:00 today we completed all the compliance measures and at 02:00 this afternoon all of the medic units bearing this county’s name have its own drug boxes following its own protocols,” he said.

The chief recognized staff who led the project, naming the project manager, the kit‑composition lead and the protocol authoring lieutenant and noting the protocol package runs to roughly 200 pages. Board members praised the work, noting the clinical importance of up‑to‑date equipment and thanking EMS staff.

The vote on the equipment purchase was taken by roll call and recorded as aye by the voting supervisors present; the motion carried. The board did not identify any dissenting votes during the roll call.

The county’s new protocol shifts purchasing, accountability and handling of controlled medications (Schedules II–V) to county administration and EMS; board members noted this requires ongoing compliance oversight and cross‑agency coordination with the hospital pharmacies and regulatory bodies. The board did not adopt additional requirements at the meeting; next steps identified were routine implementation and continued reporting from EMS staff to the board.