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St. James approves financing plan for new ambulance compression devices and AEDs totaling $57,392
Summary
The council approved a $57,391.72 purchase of two automatic-compression devices and four AEDs, using a three-year, zero-percent financing plan and a $3,000-per-year pledge from the St. James Ambulance Association; staff noted the purchase was not in the 2026 budget.
The St. James City Council on Feb. 4 approved a purchase and financing plan to replace ambulance cardiac-compression devices that the city can no longer service.
Holly, the ambulance director, told the council the department’s Lucas 2 automatic-compression devices have been declared obsolete by the manufacturer and can no longer be serviced or repaired. The city sought replacement devices and a vendor demonstrated the Zoll AutoPulse NXT (transcript spelled "ZO auto pulse NXT"). The vendor packaged two AutoPulse devices and four automated external defibrillators (AEDs) for a combined quote of $57,391.72.
Zoll proposed three-year, zero-percent financing with estimated annual payments of about $19,000. Holly said the St. James Ambulance Association has pledged $3,000 per year toward repayments and that the purchase was not included in the 2026 budget, which is why the three-year plan was recommended.
Councilors voted to approve the purchase and the payment plan. Staff said departments receiving AEDs would cover those units’ portion of the cost, and that placement plans would ensure facilities without AEDs (for example, the pool) would receive one.
The council did not vote to amend the city’s 2026 budget at the meeting; funding will be managed through the ambulance fund and department contributions. Staff will return with documentation of the financing agreement and a schedule for distribution of AEDs to city facilities.
