The Tryon Fire Department now has the only carbon monoxide monitor in the county.
The purchase was recently made through the help of a Foothills Chamber Foundation grant in the amount of $2,000.
The monitor cost $4,000 and was purchased with the grant and out of the fire departments operating budget as a match.
Tryon Town Council met Tuesday with Tryon Fire Chief Joey Davis being presented the check from Foothills Chamber officials.
Davis explained that the monitor is placed on a victims finger and tells the oxygen level as well as how much carbon monoxide a victim has in their body.
Davis mentioned that a carbon monoxide event in Polk County in recent years, where there was a leak at the virtual early college in Columbus, could have been made easier for emergency responders if a department had a carbon monoxide monitor.
Victims can now be tested on site instead of having to go to the hospital to have a test, Davis said. The monitor will also be instrumental in fighting fires, where firefighters coming out of buildings can be tested to ensure it is safe to re-enter.
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