NORWICH – There is no way of knowing if the death of a Utica man last week may have been avoided if the Utica City Hall had been equipped with an automatic external defibrillator, but Chenango County’s leaders aren’t taking any chances. Yesterday, the county’s board of supervisors approved the purchase of two AEDs for the County Office Building.

“I just hope I never have to have it used on me,” said City of Norwich Supervisor James McNeil, who supported the purchase of the life saving devices, which use an electric current to shock the heart back into rhythm.

The units, which cost $2,322 each, will be purchased from tobacco settlement funds in the Public Health Educator account.

“I think that’s a really appropriate funding source,” said Town of Pitcher Supervisor Jeffrey Blanchard, who commented on the link between tobacco use and heart disease.

According to Town of Smithville Supervisor Allan Johnson, who sits on the Personnel Committee, the location of the AEDs will be left to the discretion of the Public Health Department. It was the department’s director, Marcas Flindt, who brought the original proposal to buy the equipment before two committees last week.