A supervisor-approved purchase Monday night will stock the Adams Township building with life-saving equipment.

Gary Peaco, township manager, explained to supervisors why the township needs to be outfitted with portable defibrillators known as AEDs.

“They only last so long,” Peaco said. “Part of the problem right now is (that) they're not all compatible.”

In other words, Peaco said the police, fire departments and EMS crews that respond to an emergency might not necessarily have equipment to match the AED being used at the scene.

To make the equipment compatible, first responders may need to change pads in the middle of an emergency.

“You're wasting precious time in that situation,” Peaco said.

Peaco said the new AEDs will allow all township emergency and non-emergency entities to have the same kind of defibrillator.

The purchase totals about $55,000, according to Peaco. He said because there are a number of groups involved with the purchase — the fire department, EMS, etc. — the price is better than if the township was just buying AEDs on its own.

Peaco said the amount the township itself will be responsible for covering is between about $21,600 and $30,600.

“That's our share,” said Russell Ford, supervisor chairman. “Any other groups are going to pay their share.”

Supervisors approved purchasing up to $21,600 worth of AEDs and re-evaluating the need for more beyond that.

The move to buy new AEDs now outfits the township police, public works and recreation departments with the same kind of equipment.

“It's one of those things that needs to be done,” Ford said.