POLAND – The town’s fire and rescue departments have received a $10,000 grant from the Stephen and Tabitha King Foundation to help purchase two new defibrillators monitors.

Speaking at Tuesday’s Board of Selectmen’s meeting, Poland Rescue Chief Melody Stevens told the board the grant will go toward the $35,000 purchase price of the new Lifepak 12 defibrillator monitors.

Stevens said the new machines will, among other things, enable rescue workers to get an image of a patient’s heart in the field and pass that information along to a hospital before the patient arrives.

She said the department has been working for two years to raise the necessary funds and, until now, most donations have been contributions from individuals and two area businesses.

Although the monitors have already been shipped, Stevens said the department still needs to raise $1,500 over the next 60 days to cover the cost. She urged anyone wanting to make a tax-deductible donation to send a check to P.O. Box 163, Poland, ME 04274 attention monitor fund.

In other business, the board accepted a bid of just over $566,000 to build a new sand and salt shed. The bid came from R&R construction, which underbid two competitors by almost $200,000. Work on the shed should begin this winter, just as soon as the town receives a permit from the state Department of Environmental Protection.

Selectmen, at the request of a town resident, are also entertaining the idea of installing flashing yellow caution lights on Route 26 near the Poland Regional High School. Board members want to get more information regarding the cost and logistics of the lights, as well as consult with the School Committee, before revisiting the matter.

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