Radford approves six public-safety grants, including $300,000 for 911 call‑handling upgrades

Radford City Council approved six appropriation ordinances to accept and appropriate grant funds for public safety and 9-1-1 improvements. The grants will fund GIS software and data maintenance ($8,000), a PSAP education grant ($4,000), a first-responder wellness grant ($26,178), a school resource officer (SRO) grant (stated in the transcript as $7,375,306 with a local match of $14,973), a VDEM shared services call-handling equipment grant ($300,000) and a Department of Criminal Justice Services Operation Ceasefire grant ($130,855).

City staff explained the call-handling equipment project will cost $371,460 over five years; the $300,000 grant covers initial purchase and first-year costs, and the remaining $71,460 would be paid in years two through five. Staff said Radford Communications’ current 9-1-1 equipment is seven years old and nearing end of service life; upgrading would improve resiliency and access to newer technologies.

The Operation Ceasefire grant will be used to purchase an integrated ballistic identification system to aid firearm investigations through the National Integrated Ballistic Information Network; no local match was required. Staff credited Captain Michael Mansdorf for much of the department’s grant-writing activity. Council voted to approve appropriation ordinances 18-14.01 through 18-14.06 and to dispense with a second reading after recording four affirmative votes.

Councilors and the police chief thanked grant staff and described the funding as improving capabilities without additional local matching where not required. The SRO grant requires a local match that staff said can be accommodated from the department’s existing budget.