News Talk 94.1/AM 1600 Where The Upper Cumberland Talks
Fentress County Commissioners approved the purchase of seven new heart monitors Monday night, at a total price tag of $281,467.
Ambulance Services Director Daniel Coleman said the units will take about eight months to build out. Though the county currently has units in all of its ambulances, the current monitors are wearing out.
“We are making do with what we have,” Coleman said. “It’s just we’re at the two of our monitors was purchased in 2013. One of them was purchased in ’14, and four of them was purchased in ’18. So they’re all coming to the end of their lifespan. They was refurbished when we bought them, so they had done been used. They had been recertified by the manufacturer. So now we’re coming to the end of that lifespan of those monitors.”
The Phillips units each come with five-year warranties. Coleman said he priced two other brands Monday to get the latest information. Both prices were higher. Commissioner Larry Cooper told the board they had been discussing the issue for several months.
“We’ve got to quit dragging our feet, make a decision,” Cooper said.
Commissioners had been discussing options on the monitors for several months, considering possible grant options and other avenues. They had been using two on-loan units from a manufacturer to serve the community until a decision was made.
Coleman said the type of heart monitor comes down really to personal preference. He said he preferred the Phillips brand because it is more compact. The county will also purchase a planned maintenance agreement for the units.
