Wednesday, April 24, 2024
The Hood County Commissioners Court has approved an expenditure not to exceed $153,000 to place 44 automated external defibrillators (AEDs) – devices used to help those experiencing heart attacks – in county buildings and sheriff’s office vehicles.
The county judge and commissioners green-lighted the purchase at the request of Hood County Emergency Management Coordinator Jay Webster, who advocated to bring back an “AED program” that he said the county once had.
Webster told court members at their recent regular meeting that currently no county buildings have a functioning AED, and none have ever been placed in patrol vehicles or jail transport vans.
Webster noted that a committee to research AEDs had been created and that Precinct 1 Commissioner Kevin Andrews has been serving on that committee. He stated that he himself had missed committee meetings due to his duties with the Hood County Vaccination Hub, where shots of the Moderna vaccine are being given to combat the spread of COVID-19.
Andrews made a motion to approve the purchase of 44 AEDs from AED123 and to sign up for a 5-year maintenance agreement. Precinct 3 Commissioner Jack Wilson seconded the motion, and it was unanimously approved.
Eighteen of the units will be placed in county buildings, 20 will be placed in patrol vehicles and six will be carried in jail transport vans.
