Hancock's E-911 awarded grant
By J.R. WELSH -
The Sun Herald
Hancock County's E-911 Commission received a $500,000 grant Friday to improve its critical emergency communications system and put millions of dollars worth of equipment out of harm's way.The federal grant was announced here by Mississippi Public Safety Commissioner Steve Simpson, who said the funds will help improve public safety responses in a county that was ground zero during Hurricane Katrina in 2005.
During and after the storm, first responders found themselves with little or no communication between agencies. "After Katrina, the lack of communications really hindered the recovery," Simpson said.
Before Katrina, separate 911 calling systems were maintained by Hancock County and the cities of Waveland and Bay St. Louis. Those were combined into one central operation after the storm.
However, the system has been faulty because of ill-placed equipment and other problems. Of the two transmission towers now in place, one is in a low-lying area of Waveland. The tower itself is 300 feet high, but about 65,000 pounds of necessary communications equipment is in a concrete bunker at ground level.
Waveland Police Chief James Varnell said the equipment is constantly threatened in hurricane season, and is subject to rising water during storms. The new grant will be partially used to elevate the equipment storage to a height of about 25 feet, hopefully eliminating the threat of flooding.
"The biggest thing is hardening the sites and getting that $3 million worth of equipment off the ground," Varnell said.
Simpson said the state is also developing a wireless network that will improve communications between various agencies, including the National Guard, first responders, and local law enforcement agencies statewide.
The grant money comes from the U.S. Department of Justice and is in hand, Simpson said. "The money is already in the bank."
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