County receives $150,650 grant years ago
Staff reporter
Marion County has been awarded a grant for $150,650 from the State Homeland Security Grant Program, the county commission learned Monday.
According to Michele Abbott-Becker, director of Communications and Emergency Management Homeland Security, the county completed a risks assessment in 1999. Threats and vulnerabilities were identified while the capability to reduce the threats was addressed.
Funds were dispersed to assist counties that participated in the assessment in preventing and responding to terrorism through better equipment, exercises, training, planning and infrastructure.
The county received a total of "about $15,000 in grant funds in 1999, 2000, and 2001, for personal protection gear for 'First Responders' (law enforcement, fire, emergency medical services)," Abbott-Becker said. In 2002 and 2003, $38,000 was awarded to the county which was used for radios.
Plans for the $150,650 will include additional updating of countywide communications equipment.
"Marion County needs a countywide, same bandwidth radio system," Abbott-Becker said. "An updated system also could update the communication capabilities from 'voice only' to other forms such as an EKG being sent from an ambulance to a hospital."
A countywide advisory board assisted Abbott-Becker in determining the needs with recommendations for use of the funds. The recommendations then were presented to the Marion County Commission for approval and were included in the assessment. Suggestions are still welcomed from Marion County residents regarding usage of the funds.
"Anyone with ideas should contact the local representative from their area that's on the advisory board or call the Marion County Emergency Communications office," Abbott-Becker said.
Another recommendation was courthouse and emergency operations center security.
The 2003 funding will be given to the county in two payments. Part I will be allocated sometime after Nov. 1, in the amount of $40,493. The Part II funding, in the amount of $110,157, will follow during the federal fiscal year 2003. This funding is available to county emergency management offices to be distributed to the various county entities.
Abbott-Becker is in the process of completing another Homeland Security Grant application for funding in future years.
Advisory board members are Abbott-Becker; Lee Becker, sheriff; Michel Soyez, police chief of Marion; Daniel Kinning, police chief of Hillsboro; JoAnn Knak, Marion County Emergency Medical Services director; Scott Zogelman, Florence Emergency Medical Services director; Merlin Stout, police chief of Florence; Jeff Pohlman, police chief of Peabody; Joseph Base, police chief of Goessel; Ronnie Harms, fire chief of Peabody; Ben Steketee, fire chief of Hillsboro; Lt. Robert Ware, Kansas Highway Patrol; and Ron Mueller, Tampa Fire/EMS.
