Homeland Security Funds

[pete892]

Michigan has released some more Federal Homeland Security funds to the locals. Will your department see any of it or will it all go to law enforcement. Van Buren county is going to use some of the funds for training firefighters in hasmat, bio, etc. We also are getting portable radiation monitors, similar to the metal detectors at airports. They will be used at shelters to replace the cold war type hand held units. We have a nuclear power plant. Central dispatch is also planning to install a computer system that will allow them to activate the Emergency Alert System. This pre-empts local radio stations and provides for a voice message to be broadcast with emergency info.

Stay safe,

Pete

[lmrchief2]

Hey Pete can't they already do that with the EAS system. I am not sure if you guys are set up like we are in Monroe County but our Fermi Sirens are controlled by Central Dispatch and through Emergency Management.

They also use them for Storm Warnings.

The new portable moniors are great we used them for our FEMA drill last month they are the cats meow compared to the old hand monitoring sytem we use to use. This is a great buy. By the way from what I understand if you guys have a major incident ours will be going to you and vice versa.

Take Care

[pete892]

We have the sirens covering a 10 mile area around the plant in Van Buren. They can be set off by central dispatch. We used to have the speaker type with the PA system but this was replaced last year with just a siren. However, the new system is computer control and can verify that a siren really works. Before we used to have to use citizens to monitor individual sirens on the monthly test and send in post cards. A real pain.

When we started this after three mile island we simply called to local radio station on the phone for the EBS now EAS. The station was staffed 24/7 and it seemed to work. Now the station has been sold and at least six area stations are all operated out of a central location. I sure look forward to the new automatic system.

Our FEMA exercise for Palasades comes up in August. Hope all this new stuff works since we had perfect scores two years ago. How did you make out with Fermi?

Stay safe,

Pete

[lmrchief2]

I did not personally make it to the drill or debriefing. Had to work my real job:mad: . The preliminaries from what I have heard everything went well.

Good Luck come Agust the new systems are great it is whole lot better then the 20 minute body scan that is required without them now.