The police and fire departments recently received nearly $20,000 in grant funding awarded through the state Department of Homeland Security and the American Recovery Reinvestment Act.
Earlier this month, the Board of Selectman accepted a $10,000 Homeland Security Grant and appointed Fire Marshal Scott Pelletier to oversee the funds to acquire equipment for upgrades to the town’s Emergency Operations Center.
Upgrades include expansion of phone and fax lines, color printers, computers with flat screen displays and software to assist in emergency operations. The EOC will also acquire Wifi connections and smart boards.
“These updates will bring the town up to modern national standards,” Pelletier said.
First Selectman Mary Ann Drayton-Rogers said Pelletier does an excellent job of making sure the town is well protected during emergencies.
“He is making sure we use any grants that are available to the town in the most efficient manner,” she said.
Resident Trooper Sgt. Dan Semosky said the town received $9,100 by way of a Justice Assistance Grant through the ARRA, which is administered by the Office of Policy Management.
Semosky said the funding would pay a portion of a $26,000 cost for seven Oxford police cruisers to be equipped with Panasonic laptop computers which are identical to ones used in state police cruisers.
The laptops would allow officers to track license plates, residents license information, criminal backgrounds with computer software to provide GPS and maps of public buildings and schools town case of an emergency. Officers can also access the State Department of Public Safety Intranet site.
“This is going to be a great life saving tool,” Semosky said.
Finance Director Jim Hliva said the town appropriated $26,000 for the laptops as part of the police department’s computer and hardware line item in the 2009 – 2010 town budget which was approved at referendum in May. He said the grant funding will be used to offset that cost.
The police department has already received the laptop computers which are scheduled to be installed.
Pelletier said the new equipment for the EOC is scheduled to be purchased and be fully operational by Oct. 1.
