Area response teams getting security grant

Standing in front of a day-glo yellow decontamination tent and flanked by masked SWAT team officers and blue-suited hazardous materials technicians, Missouri Homeland Security adviser Tim Daniel announced a financial boon to Southeast Missouri's homeland security response teams at a news conference Thursday morning in Jackson.

Daniel and representatives from the State Emergency Management Agency gathered outside the Jackson Fire and Rescue Department administration building to discuss how these grants have improved Missouri's disaster preparedness.

Since March, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security has handed the state nearly $60 million. Daniel said about $580,000 is designated for teams in Southeast Missouri for planning, training, disaster exercises, and equipment purchases and maintenance.

The money will be split later this year among teams including Jackson, Sikeston, Poplar Bluff and Kennett.

"This is the first time we've ever done this and it's not easy," Daniel said. "How the money is used is up to the local agencies. Our job at the state level is to support them."

Information about the new funding arrived within the last 10 days and agencies are still in the beginning stages of planning how to use it, he said.

He congratulated the Jackson/SEMO Homeland Security Regional Response Team for its success thus far. The team includes the Sikeston Department of Public Safety.

"It starts at the top with political cooperation from county commissions and mayors," Daniel said. "Everybody comes together for the public good. I congratulate the Southeast region for setting a model."

Jackson fire chief Brad Golden called disaster preparedness a "never-ending task."

"We can't do all this alone," he said. "We're fortunate to have Sikeston and the other area communities doing this with us. We have a long way to go. But our firefighters are committed to doing that."

He said the Jackson and Sikeston team could be using its portion of the new funds by October. For the last three fiscal years, the team has received similar federal grants totaling more than $800,000. Most was spent on equipment, upkeep and training.

Poplar Bluff fire chief Randy Hastings attended Thursday's event. His department is in the earlier stages of forming a regional disaster response team with surrounding fire districts. He often seeks Golden's advice on how to keep a team organized.

"I pick Brad Golden's brain continually," he said. "He can save us a lot of mistakes."

Missouri House Rep. Rob Mayer, R-Dexter, was among several local elected and appointed officials attending the news conference. He said the federal money provides not only valuable resources for smaller departments but also motivation for their mostly volunteer members.

"We take them for granted so much," Mayer said. "We take for granted that because of them we're secure. There's men and women out there protecting our lives. I think it is motivating for them to receive this. They don't get a log of recognition or credit. This lets them know that their leaders care about them and what they do."

Jackson fire captain Steve Grant agreed. He said similar funds the team has received over the last few years have been used wisely.

"We're getting a lot of good equipment and good time and usage out of it," he said. "It takes money, plain and simple, to acquire all this stuff and the training to stay up on it."

mwells@semissourian.com

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