EMA director: Homeland Security awards buying radios and interoperable gear; reallocation planned to meet closeout

Rua Sullivan, the county’s Emergency Management Agency director, briefed the commission on ongoing Homeland Security grant activity and a plan to reallocate funds for equipment that will improve countywide radio interoperability.

“First one was $60,985 for fire department radios,” Sullivan said, and he noted an additional allocation of about $16,000 for an interoperable device. Sullivan said he had not yet received a final contract for a 2025 award and that procurement activity for previous awards is in the closeout phase.

To improve coverage, Sullivan described asking a partner electric cooperative to allow installation on a high-elevation tower and said he plans to buy a multiplexer/combiner so multiple repeaters can share existing antennas at that site, reducing the need to install new antennas. He said vendor quotes are pending and that he will submit a reallocation request to the grant monitor once costs are known. Sullivan said the grant closeout purchases must be completed by April 30.

Sullivan also said a 2025 grant package is likely to provide funding for additional projects, and he will report back when contracts arrive. He emphasized the update was being recorded in the minutes at the grant monitor’s request.

What happens next: Sullivan will obtain equipment quotes, submit any reallocation request required by the grant monitor, and return to the commission with contract information and updates on the 2025 awards.