The Emporia City Commission agreed Wednesday to buy new “jaws of life” extrication tools and automatic CPR pumps for the Emporia Fire Department.
The bill for the items runs to more than $80,000 and will be shared with the Lyon County Commission. A third item on the list, a thermal imaging camera, was not on the evening’s agenda.
According to the fire department, the extrication equipment has been overdue for replacement. The low bid on it was $34,870 from Holmatro, which has its North American headquarters in Maryland.
“They’re an extreme priority at this point,” Fire Chief Jack Taylor said of the tools. “They really need to be replaced.”
The other items approved, three AutoPulse support pumps, are made only by Zoll, a Massachusetts-based firm. The company bid $46,661. The pumps use a strap that presses the whole chest at once and can deliver 100 compressions a minute. The equipment now in service, the Thumpers, delivers 60 to 80 compressions a minute by pressing a piston against the patient’s breastbone.
“These are really a lot better than the old ones,” Commissioner Bobbie Agler sad of the AutoPulse devices.
Commissioner Ray Toso urged the city in future to take care of its fire department in a more timely manner, rather than wait until equipment is falling apart or has to be borrowed from other towns. A thermal imaging camera, for example, has often had to be borrowed from Olpe.
“In the future, when we’re going to be providing emergency services, we need to make sure as a commission that they have the equipment to do it,” Toso said.
In other action, commissioners:
• Agreed to rezone 1807 Holiday Drive from R-1 (light residential) to R-2 (medium residential) so that three duplexes could be built at the location. The issue of storm water drainage in the area, which was raised at the planning commission, will be discussed at a separate meeting.
• Approved a $50,000 contract with BG Consultants for engineering services on the left turn lane project at 15th Avenue and Industrial Road.
• Awarded the crack and slurry seal project to Musselman and Hall at $1.25 per pound of crack seal and $1.29 per square yard of slurry seal.
• Approved petitions for paving and sewer service in the Greenwood Addition along with a contract for water service.
• Met in closed session for 15 minutes to discuss trade secrets and confidential business matters, and then for five more minutes to discuss non-elected personnel.