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Major grant received for purchase of radio equipment for new Joint Emergency Communications Center |
| Posted: December 22, 2008 |
The outlay of local funds for the new Johnson County Joint Emergency
Communications Center (JECC) will now be lower than anticipated,
following an announcement from Senator Chuck Grassley's office this
week that the Iowa City Fire Department, on behalf of the Johnson
County Mutual Aid Association, has been selected to receive a $906,400
grant, earmarked for the purchase of radio equipment for the new
center. The grant has been awarded by the Assistance to Firefighters
Grant Program, offered through the Department of Homeland Security's
Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).
The Iowa City Fire Department submitted the grant application last
April, requesting $1,133,000 to help purchase the new equipment. Grant
program guidelines stipulated that 20% of that amount, or $226,600, was
to come from a local match. Those match funds will be provided by the
JECC budget.
"This is a significant grant, and I am more than pleased that our
region has been selected to receive it," said Iowa City Fire Chief Andy
Rocca. "The Joint Emergency Communications Center will enable all of
the emergency and public safety units in Johnson County to work
together more closely, upgrade our technology, reduce our emergency
response time, and improve our service overall to Iowa City and area
communities. I appreciate the support this grant will provide, as well
as the vote of confidence it implies."
Three types of grants are available through the FEMA firefighter
program - Operations and Safety, Vehicle Acquisition, and Regional
Projects. The grant that the Iowa City Fire Department will receive
falls under the Regional Projects fund, which requires that multiple
organizations serving more than one jurisdiction will benefit directly
from the grant funds. The money provided by the grant will help cover a
substantial amount of the purchase price of fire service radio
equipment for the new communications center, including state-of-the-art
mobile radios and portable radios.
The new 17,000 square foot center is currently under construction west
of Iowa City, off Melrose Avenue. Cost of the project is estimated to
be nearly $21 million. When completed, it will provide emergency
dispatch communications service to all of Johnson County, as well as to
other communities or emergency services outside of Johnson County that
contract with the Joint Emergency Communications Center. In addition to
Iowa City, other local area fire departments that will utilize the
services of the center include Coralville, North Liberty, Solon,
Swisher, Oxford, Tiffin, Lone Tree, Hills, West Branch, West Liberty,
Kalona, and Riverside, as well as the Johnson County Haz Mat Team and
Johnson County Ambulance Service. The Johnson County Sheriff's
Department, Iowa City Police Department, and other law enforcement
agencies will also utilize the communication center's dispatch and
communication services.
For more information, contact Iowa City Fire Chief Andy Rocca at 356-5256 (e-mail andy-rocca@iowa-city.org) or JECC Project Manager Jeff Davidson at 356-5232 (e-mail jeff-davidson@iowa-city.org).
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