Idaho Military Division seeks supplemental funding for vehicle upgrades, public-safety communications and hazmat equipment

Major General Tim Donillon, the adjutant general and commander of the Idaho National Guard, described the Idaho Military Division’s FY2026 funding needs, emphasizing supplemental requests to clear a backlog of vehicles, improve public-safety communications infrastructure and provide new hazardous-materials response equipment for regional teams.

Timing and vehicle backlog

Committee members pressed why the requests were presented as supplementals rather than routine enhancements. Donillon and military staff said the supplemental timing reflects an urgent operational need to process an influx of vehicles that arrived after a supply-chain delay for vehicle components (notably vehicle communications equipment). "We got a flood of them at one time," Donillon said. The supplemental was split into two parts: private-contract work to clear the backlog and construction work to add installation capacity at existing facilities. The committee was told the private contract clears the backlog more quickly, while construction funding would create additional bays so multiple vehicles could be worked on concurrently.

Public-safety communications and IT

The division seeks funding to modernize servers and separate the public-safety microwave network from the state ITS network. Donillon explained the division is "separating the public safety network through our microwave system from ITS" and said that will require hardware and installation costs. The governor recommended funding for IT infrastructure and licensing that would allow public-safety communications to establish its own network independent of ITS for improved security.

Hazmat regional equipment and execution

Representative Petzke asked about an $8,600,000 governor-recommended appropriation for the Office of Emergency Management (OEM) to distribute equipment and training to seven regional hazmat teams. Donillon said the division has not updated hazmat equipment since about 2005 and the governor’s recommendation would fund new equipment and training distributed through OEM. "So this request ... is directly to support our first responders for hazmat response," Donillon said, noting the regional teams respond to events ranging from vehicle spills to meth-lab cleanups and the propane spill on Highway 95 between New Meadows and Riggins.

Costs, execution and quality-control concerns

Committee members asked whether contracting out vehicle installation is cheaper than expanding state facilities and staff. Donillon’s team said contracting a backlog-clearing vendor is about twice as expensive per vehicle, and that vehicles returned from contractors often require state quality-control work because panels, radios or wiring did not meet Idaho standards.

What matters: public safety and readiness

The division emphasized the request supports trooper safety and operational readiness. Donillon said radios and communications are essential to troopers and other first responders; legislators and staff described prior tours where the committee saw the backlog firsthand and urged timely resolution.

Ending

The adjutant general closed by thanking the committee for past support and noting the diverse state and federal missions of the Idaho Military Division; he and the division staff agreed to provide additional detail on staffing and procurement timing as requested by committee members.