Hugo Fire Department Receives A Piece Of $1.2 Million Grant
Fifteen Washington County Fire Departments, including the Hugo Fire Department, will share a U.S. Department of Homeland Security Assistance to Firefi ghters Grant in the amount of $1,252,110 as announced by the Department on November 24.
Under the provisions of the program, Homeland Security will award $1,000,000 in federal funds while the local jurisdictions will provide the balance in matching funds.
The project, which will fund the purchase of 1 base, 157 mobile and 55 handheld radios, will allow all Washington County fire departments to achieve full interoperability on the 800 MHz band with federal, state and local agencies in the nine-county metro area. The grant will directly meet the equipment needs of over 550 firefighters from 33 jurisdictions serving a population of 10,000.
"Hugo's share is $60,295 of that $1,000,000 grant," said HFD Deputy Fire Chief Jadon Ollila. "What that will cover is two base radios, which will be for the fire station, nine mobile radios (one for each truck), and 20 portable radios, which will replace our current portable radios we use now under the VHF system." Acting through the Washington County Chief's Association, personnel from Woodbury and Lake Elmo Fire Departments drafted a proposal consistent with a countywide communications plan that also met the regional and national interoperability needs identifi ed by the Department of Homeland Security. The regional grant application approach was also considered by the Washington County City Administrator's Organization where it received unanimous support.
Woodbury and Lake Elmo then took the responsibility to collect the detailed information necessary to prepare the final proposal and submit it to the AFG as a Regional Application. Lake Elmo served as the host department.
As host, Lake Elmo will oversee the funds, administer the purchase and distribute the radio equipment. To date, Lake Elmo is the only department in the nation to receive the highest allowed federal share, $1,000,000.
In related action, on Dec. 19 the Washington County Board of Commissioners gave their commitment to the 800 Megahertz Project, the county's planned $15.3 million emergency radio system.
Washington County Sheriff Steve Pott said the new system, which is being implemented throughout the metro area, provides higher quality and more reliable communications for public safety responders throughout the county and increases the ability for responders from across the metro area to communicate with each other.
Pott expects the system will be ready to get switched on by summer 2008.
Compiled from news releases issued by the Lake Elmo Fire Department and the Public Information Office for Washington County.