An ambulance staff member described a grant opportunity to equip the county’s 911 ambulance with an Autopulse mechanical CPR device, which the presenter said is similar to the Lucas machine but more portable for ambulance use. The total cost cited was $23,508; the grant would cover 75% and the county would be responsible for the 25% match, which the presenter said could come from the ambulance equipment fund.

"The grant would pay 75. We pay the 25 percent. The total cost of the grant would be about $24,000. I think it's 23 sorry. $23,508," the speaker said, adding the application deadline is effectively January 2 at 04:30 because the official timestamp falls on a holiday. The presenter said submission is contingent on securing Dr. Atkins' signature and that if the signature cannot be obtained they would apply next year instead.

The speaker also noted compatibility with existing ZOLL monitors and that the device would provide objective feedback on compression quality during resuscitation.

Why this matters: mechanical CPR devices are used to deliver consistent compressions in cardiac arrest and can improve adherence to recommended compression depth and rate; the grant would reduce the county’s direct cost but requires timely administrative signoff.

Board action and next steps: the presenter asked for approval to proceed with application submission contingent on obtaining Dr. Atkins' signature and permission to use the equipment fund as the local match.