Pulaski County Health Dept. to Purchase Mobile Cooling Centers

The Pulaski County Health Department will soon be receiving a decent chunk of change to purchase two canopy cooling centers. Sherry Fagner with the health department said the two mist shelters will be purchased using a $20,000 grant, and obtaining that grant was not easy.

Fagner said the health department has to justify the purchase in order to obtain the grant, and said they justified the purchase by stating that it could be employed in a possible distribution site for medical countermeasures. That is, if the department ever offered a drive-through or a walk-through, the cooling centers would be useful.

But, now that the grant has been obtained, Fagner said the cooling centers – which are essentially tents that spray mist to cool off visitors – could be used at county fairs or other events in the summer. She said the county will be purchasing two ten-by-ten shelters, and they can be used either with a water hookup or with tanks of water in case there is no nearby water source.

The grant is an annual grant, but Fagner said this year they received $20,000 as opposed to the regular $10,000. While the department must first go through the county council for their approval, Fagner said it’s just a formality.

She said the department is hoping to have the equipment ready to go well before the heat of summer sets in.