EMS Director says report-writing costs could spike; commissioners approve $6,700 cot repairs

Michael Burnett, EMS Director for Crawford County, briefed the board on equipment maintenance and software concerns, asking the commissioners to authorize immediate repairs for four cots and warning that their current EMS report-writing subscription is expected to become significantly more expensive.

Burnett presented a vendor quote to service four used cots for $6,700 under a one-year service plan and warranty and said replacing a cot with a new unit would cost roughly $30,000. He also described the county's report-writing system: current annual costs are about $11,000–$12,000 but the vendor’s new pricing could increase to $35,000 per year. Burnett said staff had identified an alternative vendor with an initial cost of about $17,000 that would later drop to approximately $12,868 per year; he advised that implementation of a new system would need to begin the following month.

On motion (26-267) by Commissioner Carl Wood, seconded by Commissioner Tom Moody, the board approved servicing the four EMS cots at a total cost of $6,700; the vote was unanimous (Yeas: Wood, Moody, Blair). Commissioners discussed exploring grants and bundling software subscriptions across county departments to reduce costs but took no further fiscal action at this meeting.

Why it matters: Timely maintenance preserves EMS readiness, while long-term software cost increases could affect operating budgets for emergency services. The board approved a short-term equipment fix and asked staff to pursue cost-saving options for software.