GREENSBURG, Ind. – Decatur County Emergency Management has been awarded two separate grants from the Indiana Department of Homeland Security totaling more than $28,500.
The grants were both competitive in nature and will provide further emergency equipment enhancements in Decatur County.
The agency was granted $20,000 to enhance disaster communications.
Decatur County EMA Director Robert Duckworth said, “During the tornado that affected Henryville and Holton in 2012 the States’ radio towers were affected and portable repeaters were needed to relay voice communication.
“Greensburg experienced an overload of voice communications on regular channels during the 2011 tornado and both these situations were used a factual basis for the need explanation to Homeland Security.”
This funding will support the repeater to relay communications and a 50 foot tower that will be mounted to EMA’s Emergency Response Vehicle so the communications need can be addressed anywhere in Decatur County.
The second award in the amount of $8,486 will enhance the emergency operations center which also serves as a training facility for public safety agencies.
Over the past five years the Department of Homeland Security has provided grants to enhance the operations center to better equip the county to organize people and resources during a disaster.
This grant was awarded based on a competitive score from an assessment by Indiana Homeland Security Staff, with 90 of 92 Counties receiving funding.
