DHS grants help small communities | 01.17.2006 | 10:32:31 | Views: 4459 | ID: January 17 '06: Homeland Security funds and expenses usually are reported in the millions of dollars, but sometimes, smaller amounts of money make larger impacts on communities trying to stay prepared and ready for emergency situations. In Algonquin, Illinois, the Cary-Grove Countryside, a subsidiary of Pioneer Press reported that grants given over the past two years to the local fire department has helped to get radio equipment and vehicle exhaust removal systems for two fire stations. In 2005, the county received $160,000. Funding for the fire stations came, in part, from efforts by 16th District Congressman Don Mazullo (R-Ill) and the Fire Act Program which has helped smaller towns and municipalities get federal homeland security grant money. "This program," said Rich Carter, a spokesman for Mazullo, "allows fire departments outside of the big cities to get the needed funding so they can have the most up-to-date equipment so they can respond to terrorist attacks and national disasters." According to the paper, "The Federal Communications Commission mandates that in 2008, all two-way radios must operate on a wide band frequency." Those radios are expensive - about $83,000, and so the extra funding helps a long way, one community official told the Cary-Grove.
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