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Beaumont Unified accepts DOJ grant to buy radios, repeaters for districtwide emergency communications
Summary
Trustees accepted a Department of Justice COPS School Violence Prevention Program grant to buy repeaters and radios so all district sites can communicate on emergency channels and use talk-around stations in large incidents.
The Beaumont Unified School District board on Nov. 12 voted to accept a Department of Justice Community-Oriented Policing Services School Violence Prevention Program grant to upgrade the district’s radio communications.
District staff said the grant will fund repeaters, equipment and radios so each site can operate on coordinated frequencies and use an emergency channel districtwide. "Every site will have the necessary radios and they'll all be on the same frequency... and everyone will be able to communicate with each other," staff explained during the meeting.
The district described technical plans including multiple frequencies for larger secondary sites (separate PE channels and an emergency channel) and "talk-around" stations to coordinate during large-scale incidents such as earthquakes that might disable cell service. Staff also explained grant administration logistics (SAM.gov accounts and federal grant registration) and said some administrative names on the application are being updated.
Board members voted to accept the award. Staff said funds will be used for repeaters and radios; no specific dollar amount was read into the record during the meeting.
The acceptance authorizes staff to proceed with procurement and installation consistent with grant conditions and district purchasing rules. Trustees called the upgrade "good stuff" and expressed relief at improved emergency communications.
