The Pulaski County Council agreed to transfer funds to help improve the security of certain EMS equipment.
$6,200 was requested to be transferred to help purchase new narcotic boxes. The current equipment used by Pulaski County allows for easy entrance to medicine that could be stolen or abused without being able to track the supplies.
EMT Paramedic Kyle McTeigue says the current narcotic boxes are inefficient.
“A pair of scissors will get into them,” says McTeigue. “They have to be under double lock and key. That’s one lock and the other lock just has a number on it. There is absolutely no accountability to what we have.”
The requested funds will go to purchase new narcotic boxes that require an entry pin number prior to accessing drugs for medicinal purposes. Using software, EMS Director’s can see who is accessing the narcotics and at which times.
Prior to making the recommendation, Pulaski County EMS compared with neighboring counties to ensure the product is high quality.
McTeigue says the EMS Department wasn’t initially planning to purchase all four.
“When we initially quoted them, we were just going to get a couple this year and a couple next year. But the prices were going up so it was actually better to get all four at once,” says McTeigue.
Once narcotic boxes will be placed in each of the county’s ambulances.
The Pulaski County Council approved the transfer, unanimously.
