Yesterday afternoon, U.S. Representatives Austin Scott (R-GA-08) and Sanford D. Bishop, Jr. (D-GA-02) sent a letter to Deanne Criswell, Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), urging the agency to allow rural communities to utilize FEMA hazard mitigation grants to upgrade telecommunications equipment that is crucial for public safety efforts during and after natural disasters.
“Representing rural counties across South and Middle Georgia, we have seen a great need for communities to upgrade their communication systems,” wrote the Members. “There has been a vital communication gap in multiple natural disasters over the last several years as our first responders struggle to communicate with other responders in their county and surrounding counties to better serve those in harm’s way. Several of these disasters have in fact had loss of life, in part due to lack of communication ability.”
Hazard mitigation is critical for rural communities to reduce the impact of disasters in the future but upgrading equipment – like sirens and radios – can be extremely expensive and difficult for rural communities. Currently, FEMA does not consider these types of equipment upgrades eligible for their hazard mitigation assistance (HMA) funding.
In their letter, the Members ask for Administrator Criswell to remove “preparedness measures and response equipment” from the list of ineligible activities for HMA funding and include such costs as an eligible activity. This would allow rural communities to utilize existing grant programs to upgrade their telecommunications equipment and bolster their ability to provide live-saving communications during and after natural disasters
A copy of the letter can be found by clicking here.
Original source can be found here.
