Last night, during a city council work session, an agenda item for new monitoring equipment, the Lifepak 35, for first responders and firefighters was approved for next week’s council meeting agenda and discussion. Each unit is expected to cost roughly $64,000, and Crossville Fire Chief Chris South said his department will eventually require around four of these units.

According to South, the devices provide many services and functions critical for first responders.

“They’re for fire staff and our first responder program. The device is the newest and best, it will actually do 15 league EKGs, and it does all sorts of cardiac things. It monitors your blood pressure and all the things that you need to be able to do to take care of people. Not only that, but if they were having a heart attack, it even has the ability to transmit the EKG to the doctor at the hospital prior to our arrival. And it’s not only a monitor, it’s a defibrillator as well.”

The devices are also durable and able to withstand impacts, dust, and water.

South would continue, saying the main goal is to have Crossville Fire Department staff at parity with Crossville EMS, who are already transitioning to the newer models.

“We’re basically trying to start our process of trading things out. We’ve had two of the Lifepak 15s, which are just the older models. It’s the same thing they would have on an ambulance. Cumberland County EMS is starting to make the trade-up into all of these units too. So, we want to try to stay in line with our partners at EMS. Because that provides us the ability to work simultaneously when we’re working side-by-side all the time anyway. So, just a wonderful program for us to start processing.”

The new devices will be considered at next week’s council meeting on Tuesday.