Anniston Star
April 25, 2003

Commission receives $1.9 million for CSEPP

By Nathan Solheim
Star Staff Writer
04-25-2003

County Commissioners received $1.9 million in federal funds Thursday for the Chemical Weapons Stockpile Emergency Preparedness Plan.

The money, which will cover the costs of preparedness items such as 800-megahertz radios, computers and other items, goes toward preparing the community for the possibility of an accident at the chemical stockpile at the Anniston Army Depot.

Commissioners and officials with the Calhoun County Emergency Management Agency have requested more than $137 million for the 2003 CSEPP budget. The county will receive about $6.9 million in procurement funds, according to county figures. The overall CSEPP money is more than $10 million for 2003. Other requested money, such as funds for collective protection measures, will come through other federal agencies, said EMA spokesman David Ford.

"What we're dealing with is normal CSEPP expenditures," DeLois Champ, the interim director of the Calhoun County Emergency Management Agency, said of the money the commission will receive. "It's for operating expenses or replacing equipment."

County officials received a major portion of their overall 2003 funding when they were given some $5 million for the CSEPP Citizens Protection Program. The program provides the protective hoods, air filters and shelter-in-place kits currently being distributed to residents by Virginia-based Centech, Inc. at McClellan.

"The biggest thing we got out of this budget was the protective hoods," said Faye Robertson, assistant county administrator. "That was important. The rest is what they agreed to fund for this year."

FEMA officials could not be reached for comment.

In other business, commissioners:

# Received a $119,000 Department of Justice grant to pay for the purchase of weapons-of-mass-destruction emergency equipment for the county's first responders. The county received about $46,000 earlier this year.

Various first responders are expected to receive equipment before the end of fiscal year 2003.

# Awarded two bids for EMA-related expenses. The first was awarded to Integrity Cleaning Service for custodial services at its facility in Jacksonville in the amount of $16,044 per month. The other was awarded to StopTech Ltd., for tire-deflation units sheriff's deputies will use at the scene of a chemical weapons accident. The bid paid for 82 units at a total cost of $28,126.

The next Calhoun County Commission meeting will be 10 a.m. May 8 at the county administration building on Noble Street.