County Votes To Spend $27K For New JAWS Equipment

80% Of Purchase To Be Funded By Grant

Darren Doyle, story and photos:
The Edmonson County fiscal court voted to purchase new JAWS extricating equipment for Edmonson County Emergency Management in the amount of $27,721, 80% of which will be funded from a grant secured by EM Director Pat Prunty from Homeland Security.

Local Emergency Management secured the grant for $22,800 in October of 2017. Emergency workers have tested four different companies' extrication equipment over the past few months in order to make the best purchase in the opinion of those who will be the operators. After multiple tests, local emergency personnel voted on the Genesis Company, whose bid was $27,721.

Prunty said that EM had estimated that the new setup would cost around $30K. 

The court voted to make the purchase and the county will make up the difference from the grant at $4,291.

Prunty said the summary of the Genesis equipment was that is was easier to use, more powerful, and the best unit overall out of the four that were tested.

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