Buckingham board accepts EMS grants; debate over county match for equipment purchases

Buckingham County staff told the board on Feb. 10 that the county had been awarded $9,563.20 from the Rescue Squad Assistance Fund that requires no local match; staff requested appropriation to reimburse operating expenses already incurred and the board approved the appropriation.

Separately, staff described a state 50/50 matching grant program under which the county would receive $22,848.28 in state funds if it provides an equal local match. The grant would help purchase EMS equipment that staff described as costly and near end‑of‑life for the county’s volunteer‑donated inventory: a LUCAS mechanical chest‑compression device (transcript cited $8,340) and powered stretchers (transcript cited roughly $15,000 for compression devices and stretcher items in total discussion). Supervisors debated whether to use general fund reserves for the local match, noting end‑of‑year balances are sufficient but cautioning against routinely drawing down reserves. After discussion, the board voted to accept and appropriate the matching grant and provide the required county match; the vote passed, though a supervisor reported a brief technical problem registering a hand vote on the meeting's remote system.

Staff said the county has not previously purchased these devices and that prior units were inherited from volunteer services; staff asked supervisors to authorize the grant match to replace aging equipment and to begin a planned phase‑in of replacements going forward.