MADISON TOWNSHIP ─ Madison Township Trustees approved the use of CARES Act funds for the fire department on Monday night, including buying equipment to activate the fourth medic unit.
Trustees agreed to reimburse the fire department and EMS with the federal grant in their first November meeting. They approved the increase in budget for the Coronovirus Relief Fund by $411,832.63 in a special meeting, bringing the new total to $456,909.59.
A sum of $2,148 will be used for buying new laptops for trustees, the rest of the increase in the fund will go to the fire department. The salaries will see a $228,399.58 raise. More than $41,000 is earmarked for medical, life, dental and vision insurance.
Chairman Dan Fletcher said the money will be spent by the deadline in December. There are 14 full-time firefighters, one administrative assistant and several part-time personnel at Madison Township Fire Department.
The Bureau of Training and Emergency Medical Operations will get a little over $133,000 to buy extra supplies and high-cost equipment. The purchase will not only replace items in use but also activate the fourth medic unit.
Fletcher said the fourth unit is not in service because it is not equipped. With all the supplies it needs, the new unit will be the reserved unit to make sure the fire department works smoothly while responding to COVID tasks.
“If one of the squads gets contaminated and needs to be taken out of service, they can put this one in,” he said.
There are 19 items on its purchase list. The plan is to spend close to $60,000 buying four CPR devices and more than $31,000 on an X-Series monitor. Three portable suction units will be bought at $6,000 in total, allowing the EMS to carry one on all the units.
Additionally, trustees thanked voters’ support for the fire levy in the election last week. It is a 4-mill and five-year renewal that will begin next year.
