Feds Award $5.7 Million to Clallam County for Interoperability Project

The Courthouse Journal
October 9, 2003
Washington Association of County Officials
Washington State Association of Counties

Clallam County is among 17 local jurisdictions nationwide, and the only in Washington state, to receive a homeland security grant to help develop interoperable emergency communications systems.

The Department of Homeland Security last week announced interoperability grants totaling $79.6 million. Clallam County will receive $5.7 million. The maximum federal share is $6 million, with a non-federal match of 25 percent.

The grant program, run by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the Department of Justice's Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS), provides funding through a competitive process to selected jurisdictions for demonstration projects that will explore uses of equipment and technologies to improve interoperability among the fire service, law enforcement, and emergency medical services. Applicants were encouraged to submit proposals that reflect a multi-jurisdictional and/or multi-disciplinary approach to addressing interoperability.