MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP - The Meridian Township Fire Department has some new equipment and this upgrade comes with a new beat. Five new heart monitors have arrived at the Meridian Township's Fire Department. The Township Board approved the purchase of the four new heart monitors, while the fifth was purchased through the Fire Shared Services Grant.

These new monitors contain a new version of technology compared to the old heart monitors, which are around 13-years-old. New technology has also given these heart monitors new capabilities. The previous heart monitors could preform 12 Leads, which is and electrocardiogram of the heart, but they could not transmit the information directly to the hospital without having to be wired in.

"These heart monitors will be able to tag right in, to do the 12 lead and then just immediately transmit it out which will be nice because time is muscle when it's heart attack or something,” explained Meridian Township Fire Department’s EMS/Training Chief Bill Priese.

The new heart monitors aren’t ready to be put to work just yet. EMS/Training Chief Priese said everyone still needs to go through training so they know how to use the new technology. At the same time the Fire Department’s technology team is working to get internet installed in the ambulances for the heart monitors. Once all that’s done, they’ll just need to be mounted in them ambulances and they’ll be ready for work.