By Alia Malik
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
ATLANTA — The Gwinnett County Board of Commissioners on Tuesday approved a sole-source contract of $5.7 million with Stryker Sales Corp. for equipment that will go in the county’s ambulances.
The initial term of the contract costs almost $1.4 million and runs through the end of this year, but it can be renewed annually for a total of three years, according to county documents.
The equipment to be purchased includes power stretchers and systems to safely load and carry patients to and from ambulances, Fire Chief Russell Knick told commissioners. The contract also covers chairs to carry patients up and down stairs and automated mechanical chest compression equipment for patients in cardiac arrest.
“That device actually allows our staff to be able to continue high-quality CPR even when you’re moving patients, frees up hands for IV use, push medications and things like that,” Knick said.
The contract also includes a service agreement and preventative maintenance for all the equipment, he said.
The Department of Fire and Emergency Services has 51 front-line and reserve medical vehicles, according to the sole-source approval forms. The department has 48 Stryker stair chairs in its transport and rescue units and 47 power stretchers. The sole-source contract allows the department to standardize the equipment that firefighters train on, according to purchasing staff.
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