POLK COUNTY, Fla. — Polk County Fire and Rescue has received new ventilators that will help save lives. 

Polk County received $126 million dollars from the CARES ACT Fund. Of that amount, $5 million went to Polk County Fire and Rescue.

This money helped with an increase in antibody testing and paid sick leave, however, the medical director told Spectrum Bay News 9 that the biggest benefit is the new ventilators.

“It’s a $650,000 project,” explained Doctor Paul Banerjee. “We get a total of 50 new portable ventilators to replace old ones and to provide them to fire stations that didn’t have them before.”

Dr. Baerjee said that COVID-19 patients have a 20% chance of survival if they’re intubated and the new ventilators can help to prevent that.

“These new ventilators are really patient centered,” he said. “It can regulate breathing and has a filtration device which captures the COVID virus.”

Training for the new devices is underway and will continue throughout the month for all Polk County first responders. ​