The Tupelo City Council approved agreements authorizing the mayor to accept multiple grants from the Mississippi Department of Homeland Security for cybersecurity upgrades, emergency response equipment and police gear.

City staff summarized six awarded grants, including two cybersecurity awards to implement Microsoft Azure file backup and a software license. "That first item is a little over $240,000," Abby said, describing the first cybersecurity award and its included first-year backup fees and a three-year software license.

The council also approved a roughly $80,000 grant to replace an end-of-life firewall and purchase a network switch. Abby said there is no local match required for these cybersecurity grants.

Other approved grants include a utility terrain vehicle (UTV) for the Tupelo Fire Department used in disaster response, four additional license-plate readers for the Tupelo Police Department to expand coverage, one ballistic shield plus 20 respirators to replace end-of-life equipment, and partial funding for a bomb suit and remote firing device. Abby said the bomb-suit request was partially funded because the grant pool this year was opened to more entities, including schools.

Councilors moved, seconded and approved each agreement, authorizing the mayor to sign the grant contracts. Staff did not list specific implementation dates for all awarded items at the meeting.