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Commissioners authorize filing for IOEM homeland-security funds; local allocation buckets proposed
Summary
Bannock County approved staff to file for Idaho Office of Emergency Management (IOEM) homeland-security grant funds and discussed tentative allocations for public awareness, cybersecurity, interoperable communications and planning/training.
Bannock County commissioners authorized county staff to submit a funding request to the Idaho Office of Emergency Management (IOEM) for homeland-security grant funds and reviewed proposed project buckets for local allocation.
Wes Jones, Office of Emergency Management, presented a proposed distribution mirroring past project categories and dollar amounts used last year, noting the state is asking counties to identify where funds would be parked before the exact total is known. “What the state's requesting this time...they want our input and say where we're gonna park the funds for those projects and how much we're gonna park in those project areas,” Jones said.
Jones proposed tentative allocations including: public awareness and community preparedness ($5,973.60); an enhanced cybersecurity program ($7,765.68); interoperable communications (the largest bucket) at $85,732 to support radios, systems and related equipment; and $15,000 for enhanced emergency plans and procedures. He said 35% of the funds must be directed to local law-enforcement support per IOEM guidance. Jones explained the county has historically routed purchases through Ada County’s IT administration for technical support and inventory tracking.
Commissioners asked about alternative submission formats such as percentages versus dollar amounts; Jones said IOEM is requiring dollar amounts in this round. Commissioners also discussed tracking and auditing equipment purchased with these funds; Jones said purchased radios are property-tagged, serial-numbered and registered so they are monitored and subscribers pay a statewide system fee.
One commissioner moved to approve filing the grant application using the proposed project buckets; the motion passed on voice vote. The record indicates staff will submit the application and adjust amounts once the actual allocation is confirmed by the state.
Jones provided historical grant totals for several recent years; the amounts fluctuate annually because federal and state distributions change. He noted some national priority areas have been removed or adjusted over time, affecting available local funding.
