Feds Award Dane County Grants to Enhance Emergency Preparedness

December 07, 2007
Joshua Wescott, Office of the County Executive (608) 267-8823

(Madison)…Dane County has been awarded nearly $400,000 in federal grants to assist in emergency preparedness and response. The county pursued the grants through the Department of Homeland Security to improve emergency response communications, help communities plan for hazards, and train teams of civilians to help responders during disasters. “Dane County continues to be ahead of the curve when it comes to emergency readiness and these grants will help us both prepare and, if need be, respond,” County Executive Kathleen Falk said. “As a county we take advantage of every opportunity we can to better prepare and protect our communities.” Dane County has been awarded $7,399 from the State and Local Homeland Security Program to initiate a program to train citizens to help responders in the case of a disaster. The grant will allow the county for the first time to form Community Emergency Response Teams (CERTs) in Verona, Monona, and Stoughton. Training courses will be offered for 60 Dane County citizens interested in supporting their communities during emergencies like the 2005 Stoughton tornado. The county was awarded $151,444 from the State and Local Homeland Security Program to purchase new radio and communications equipment to make it easier for responders to talk with one another in the field. Emergency Medical Services responders with the City of Middleton and Village of Cross Plains along with fire departments in the city of Verona and the Villages of Cross Plains, Mt. Horeb, Oregon, and Waunakee will benefit from this grant. The Dane County Coroner’s Office will also be able to update communications equipment with these dollars. In addition, a $234,820 grant from the federal Pre-Disaster Mitigation Program will assist Dane County communities and private sector partners design plans to identify and minimize various hazards. In order for citizens and communities to be eligible for full federal assistance following disasters similar to this summer’s floodwaters in the village of Oregon, communities are required to draw up these mitigation plans. This grant will allow more Dane County communities to do so. # # #