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DEA guidance forces EMS to budget for lockboxes and tracking software, department says
Summary
Department leaders told the budget workshop a recent DEA-related directive requires towns to buy lockboxes for station and vehicle storage of narcotics and to implement tracking; stabilization-grant funds may cover lockboxes, but annual software costs are uncertain and could be $2,000–$5,000 a year.
Department leaders reported a recent federal change affecting how emergency services must obtain and track controlled substances, creating both one-time and recurring budget needs.
"We all the services just got an email on like February 6th ... they gave us a deadline of March 9th," the department director said, describing a new requirement to purchase narcotics from an outside source, install lockboxes at stations and on ambulances, and to track usage and disposals. He said the department expects substantial additional paperwork and a need for a reliable tracking system.
The presenter said stabilizing‑grant funds should cover initial lockbox purchases for the station and ambulance, but that the recurring software costs to manage inventory and expirations are less certain. He reported seeing software demonstrations and estimated an annual subscription ranging from about $2,000 to $5,000 depending on feature depth; the department tentatively budgeted $3,000 as a placeholder pending final vendor selection.
Committee members asked staff to confirm compliance deadlines, provide vendor pricing, and identify which expenses could be covered by one‑time grant funds versus ongoing operating appropriations. No final procurement decision was made at the workshop.
