Ellsworth County commissioners considered a request Monday to provide funding for a new ground level training room in the back of the county EMS headquarters building in Ellsworth.

EMS director Jeremiah Brown estimated the cost of the training room to be $14,000. However, he has already secured $10,000 of that funding. He asked commissioners if the county could help with the remaining $4,000.

“I think we can probably find $4,000 somewhere,” Commissioner Dennis Rolfs said.

“We’ll take it out of the building fund,” Commissioner Kermit Rush added.

Brown said he plans to build the new training room to give easier access to those taking CPR classes. He noted people taking the classes often have a difficult time climbing the stairs to the upstairs meeting room.

The new training room would be more up-to-date than the old training room, which will be used by the EMS technicians to fill out reports, etc.

• Brown said the Stryker Power Lift cot system is now being used in one of the department’s ambulances. It will help reduce back injuries by technicians.

• Brown asked permission to get bids to replace the ice machine at the EMS headquarters building. He said the machine gets utilized a lot by various entities throughout the county. Commissioners asked Brown to get bids.

• Brown submitted his 2020 budget request for consideration. The request was for $526,000 — a two percent ($11,600) increase from the $515,000 he requested for 2019.

• Ellsworth Police Chief Emil Halfhill thanked Sheriff Murray Marston for implementing the Interpol RMS (Record Management System) in the county. Sixty percent of the funding for the program is being provided by 911 funds.

• County treasurer Geneva Schneider asked if one of the commissioners could give a brief welcome to those attending the North Central Kansas Register of Deeds and Treasurer’s district meeting Friday, April 12, at the Ellsworth County Courthouse. Commissioner Steve Dlabal, the chairman of the commission, said he would let Schneider know if he is able to attend.

• Approval was given to a proclamation acknowledging April as Sexual Assault Awareness Month.