Security network nearing completion
By PETER ROPER
THE PUEBLO CHIEFTAIN
Colorado is very close to linking all of its "first responders" together with an 800 MHz radio network, and future federal homeland security grants should help complete that link, according to Mike Beasley, director of the state's Department of Local Affairs.
Beasley's department oversees the federal grant process for the state, and the federal government is targeting more security money for major cities, such as New York City, Los Angeles and Denver - meaning tougher competition for federal grant money in more rural counties.
The top priority for Colorado is completing the 800 MHz network to enable police, fire and other departments to communicate with each other statewide.
Pueblo County and city are among the few remaining areas that are not connected to the statewide 800 MHz network, but both governments have prepared grant applications asking for money to begin the work.
Beasley was in Pueblo on Monday to discuss the state homeland security effort. He said that 95 percent of the state will be linked to the 800 MHz network in the next year. Toward that goal, he has set restrictions on new grant applications - no grants will be awarded for communication equipment that does not connect to the 800 MHz system.
"In the past few years, you've seen the nine (homeland security) regions in the state purchase a lot of first-response equipment with grant money," he said. "Now, I think you'll see the money go toward training and how to use that equipment."
Beasley said it was gratifying to see some of the fire trucks purchased for rural areas with homeland security grants dispatched to the Mason Gulch Fire near Wetmore last month.
"It was great to see that new equipment being put to use," he said.
Pueblo County is part of the Southern Region, along with Huerfano, Custer, Fremont and Las Animas counties. In 2003, the region received $1.5 million in federal homeland security grants. Last year, that was increased to $2.5 million. But in 2005, Colorado lost nearly 30 percent of its federal grant money and the Southern Region only received $842,000.
Past grant money has been used to purchase a mobile emergency command post, a remote-controlled robot for bomb disposal, protective gear for officers, and 800 MHz radio equipment for Custer County.
Beasley said the state has put together an emergency headquarters in Centennial called the Multi-Agency Coordinating Center, where the FBI and even military intelligence officers provide information to state agencies.
While state lawmakers have been critical in the past year over how homeland security grants are spent, Beasley said there is a statewide plan, which was first drafted in 2003, that has spelled out priorities.
Beasley said state officers met in Alamosa last week to discuss updates to the plan.
"When certain lawmakers or other critics say the money is being misspent and that Colorado is not any safer from terrorism than it was three years, that is simply not the case," he said.
By PETER ROPER
THE PUEBLO CHIEFTAIN
Colorado is very close to linking all of its "first responders" together with an 800 MHz radio network, and future federal homeland security grants should help complete that link, according to Mike Beasley, director of the state's Department of Local Affairs.
Beasley's department oversees the federal grant process for the state, and the federal government is targeting more security money for major cities, such as New York City, Los Angeles and Denver - meaning tougher competition for federal grant money in more rural counties.
The top priority for Colorado is completing the 800 MHz network to enable police, fire and other departments to communicate with each other statewide.
Pueblo County and city are among the few remaining areas that are not connected to the statewide 800 MHz network, but both governments have prepared grant applications asking for money to begin the work.
Beasley was in Pueblo on Monday to discuss the state homeland security effort. He said that 95 percent of the state will be linked to the 800 MHz network in the next year. Toward that goal, he has set restrictions on new grant applications - no grants will be awarded for communication equipment that does not connect to the 800 MHz system.
"In the past few years, you've seen the nine (homeland security) regions in the state purchase a lot of first-response equipment with grant money," he said. "Now, I think you'll see the money go toward training and how to use that equipment."
Beasley said it was gratifying to see some of the fire trucks purchased for rural areas with homeland security grants dispatched to the Mason Gulch Fire near Wetmore last month.
"It was great to see that new equipment being put to use," he said.
Pueblo County is part of the Southern Region, along with Huerfano, Custer, Fremont and Las Animas counties. In 2003, the region received $1.5 million in federal homeland security grants. Last year, that was increased to $2.5 million. But in 2005, Colorado lost nearly 30 percent of its federal grant money and the Southern Region only received $842,000.
Past grant money has been used to purchase a mobile emergency command post, a remote-controlled robot for bomb disposal, protective gear for officers, and 800 MHz radio equipment for Custer County.
Beasley said the state has put together an emergency headquarters in Centennial called the Multi-Agency Coordinating Center, where the FBI and even military intelligence officers provide information to state agencies.
While state lawmakers have been critical in the past year over how homeland security grants are spent, Beasley said there is a statewide plan, which was first drafted in 2003, that has spelled out priorities.
Beasley said state officers met in Alamosa last week to discuss updates to the plan.
"When certain lawmakers or other critics say the money is being misspent and that Colorado is not any safer from terrorism than it was three years, that is simply not the case," he said.
