FOLEY - The Foley Fire Department has been approved to purchase five Lucas Compression Devices (automated CPR machines) and ten AEDs (automatic external defibrillators through the CARES Act. The decision to go through the CARES Act came after the department was denied for an AFG grant for these pieces of equipment.

“We were looking at things that were eligible for the CARES Act funds, and I found out that some other municipalities had received these same types of equipment through the CARES Act fund, so we reevaluated what our needs were,” said Fire Chief Joey Darby.

The purchases will completely replace the department’s current AEDs and will place Lucas Compression Devices on all front running engines, including the reserve engine. The state has already preliminarily approved the items for purchase. There is no match required through the CARES Act.

Darby hopes to get the current equipment appraised. Depending on the results he will bring a recommendation of next steps to the council.

“The AEDs that we have, while they’re still serviceable, they are pretty old,” he said. “I think we’ll need to look at them, probably talk to some of our vendor reps, and see if there’s any real value. If so we may be able to come back to council and see if there’s somebody that we can offer those too, maybe out in the volunteer world. I would suggest that we do that versus putting them on some type of surplus auction. We’ll see what the value is, certainly we don’t want to give something to someone that’s going to cost them time and money to keep it maintained, but I’d like to evaluate and see if we can help somebody else out.”