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Bladen County to hold public hearing on CDBG COVID grant for EMS equipment after board briefing
Summary
County EMS staff told commissioners a Community Development Block Grant (COVID-era) could fund new stretchers, Powerload systems and other capital equipment; the board voted to schedule a public hearing to solicit public comment before deciding whether to apply.
Bladen County commissioners voted to schedule a public hearing after the county’s Emergency Medical Services director briefed the board on a Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) opportunity that could pay for replacement EMS capital equipment.
The EMS director said the county needs to replace aging stretchers and other ambulance equipment and that COVID-era CDBG funds are available but expire in July. “The grant funds expires, in July,” the presenter said, noting there is no local match requirement for eligible items under the program.
Staff and an Insight consultant, Shaquole Simpson Carter, described candidate purchases that included powered stretchers with batteries and maintenance plans, power-load systems for ambulances, upgraded CPR devices and emergency transport ventilators for non-emergency trucks. The presenter discussed multiple figures in the briefing: a total-package figure cited as $442,209 and a per‑stretcher figure referred to as $42,209; separately, staff said replacing six units could total about $253,000 and that Powerload systems would run roughly $36,174 per ambulance. Staff summarized the list of possible capital purchases at “close to $650,000” pending final estimates.
Commissioners voted unanimously to schedule a public hearing so residents can comment on whether the county should pursue the grant. The hearing will be used to gather public input and clarify final equipment lists and exact costs before the board decides whether to file an application.
County staff told commissioners they will return with refined cost estimates and grant-language details; the briefing also noted that the county previously included many of these items in its capital-improvement plan for coming years and that tapping grant funds could accelerate those purchases. No application decision was made at the meeting.
What’s next: the county will hold the public hearing and then the board will receive a staff recommendation on applying for the CDBG funds and on a final equipment list and budget.
