Subscribe
Community
Security bill benefits county
Friday, July 3, 2009
 Click here to enlarge this photo Staff photo by DARWIN WEIGEL
Prince Frederick Volunteer Fire Department firemen, from left, Lt. Kevin McConnell of St. Leonard, Ryan Boswell of St. Leonard, Brandon Thomas of Prince Frederick and Dave Anderson of Prince Frederick show the personal protection equipment the volunteer squad has purchased with more than $200,000 in grant money it has received in the last few years.
|
E-Mail This Article
Funds to improve the county's safety and preparedness and fire departments were placed in a Homeland Security bill at the request of U.S. Congressman Rep. Steny Hoyer (D-Md., 5th), as stated in a press release last week.
"We have a responsibility to help protect our communities and provide for the safety and security of our citizens. This funding will help meet the needs of the county to enhance preparedness and response in the event of an emergency," Hoyer said in a press release.
Bob Fenwick, chief of the county's emergency management and safety, said the county requested $450,000 in funds from Hoyer's office for a backup emergency operations center, adding they have been working on it this past year.
"We go up every year for some specific things we are looking at. Obviously, if you don't ask, you don't get," he said.
The county currently uses an office in the basement of the District Court building for its incident command center during an emergency or training exercise, and it has considered the firehouse in Prince Frederick as a back up, but the firehouse does not have the infrastructure to manage an incident, Fenwick said.
"Our goal is a viable backup site." The backup site should include a generator big enough to sustain air conditioning, communication lines, a kitchen and beds, he said.
"It takes a lot of money for this."
The FY2010 Homeland Security Appropriations bill, at the request of Hoyer's office, includes $338,000 for the creation of an alternative Emergency Operations Center to ensure safety in Calvert County, including the Calvert Cliffs Nuclear Power Plant. This funding will enable Calvert County to meet Federal Department of Homeland Security preparedness guidelines, and help protect the safety and security of residents, employees and the food and water supply of Calvert County in the event of an emergency, the press release stated.
The federal government is allowed to provide 75 percent of the funds, with the county providing the remaining 25 percent through money or in-kind amounts, Fenwick explained.
The Senate will have to pass its Homeland Security bill and there may be some changes in the final bill, said Stephanie Lundberg, Hoyer's press secretary.
"There's a pretty strong indication that it will pass the Senate," Lundberg added.
Fenwick isn't ready to count on the funds, saying, "I don't know exactly how long the process is. So, right now, this is really nice. I'm just saying it's really nice."
The Homeland Security bill also includes millions of dollars appropriated to two competitive grant programs that help fire departments in Maryland and across the country. The bill provides a $390 million investment in the Assistance to Fire Grant Program (AFG) and an historic $420 million for the Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) program, according to the press release.
"Our volunteer and career firefighters provide an unbelievable service, and sacrifice a great deal to protect our communities despite often having to operate on a very limited budget," Hoyer said in the press release.
As all volunteers for emergency services, Calvert County fire and rescue departments have gone to the AFG program numerous times for funds.
"They use it to supplement their operations," said Jim Richardson, coordinator of the county's Fire, Rescue and EMS Division of the public safety department.
In 2005, Dunkirk Volunteer Fire Department received $164,600 from AFG for personal protection equipment and Prince Frederick Volunteer Fire Department received $215,800 for personal protection equipment. The money would have been used for breathing apparatus, and "turn out" gear, such as heavy coats and overalls, he said.
In 2007, Huntingtown Volunteer Fire Department was awarded a $210,000 grant through the FEMA/Homeland Security grant they used to purchase a Mobile Air Breathing Unit and "replace every piece of breathing apparatus to ensure the continued safety and well-being of our responders working in a hazardous atmosphere," Chief Jon Riffe wrote in an e-mail.
Because the county is all volunteer, they may not be eligible for SAFER program grants, but "there's a potential in those to do recruitments," Richardson said.
