Funding for the grants came to the state from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Office of Defense Preparedness. Counties may use their awards, which are administered by the State Emergency Management Agency and the Integrated Public Safety Commission, to purchase radios and other essential equipment.
"Every day across Indiana, tens of thousands of first responders are working to protect their fellow Hoosiers from harm," Kernan said. "From traffic accidents, high-speed chases, missing children and weather disasters to a full-scale terrorist attack, we must be ready and well equipped to take action instantly and seamlessly. If our public safety protectors are unable to talk to one another to coordinate life-saving activities, lives can be lost."
The governor said that state dollars, through Project Hoosier SAFE-T, are currently funding the backbone -- the towers, connectors and other connectivity components -- of a statewide communications network. Local agencies, however, are responsible for buying radios and other equipment to access the system. While most local agencies want interoperable communications, buying or upgrading their equipment can be a very expensive venture.
"That's why grants such as these are vital," Kernan said. "We've decided that this federal money must be committed to helping local communities find the resources they need to become a part of this progressive and powerful statewide communications system."
A list of grant recipients and how much they will be receiving has been put up on the governor's Web site.
