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Spokane County agrees to accept FIFA grant to buy equipment, undersheriff says county will retain purchased gear
Summary
Undersheriff Kevin Ritchie told the board Spokane County is accepting a FIFA World Cup grant to buy bomb‑robot, aerial platforms and a LRAD voice‑amplification system; grant pays overtime and training and equipment will remain county property, Ritchie said.
Undersheriff Kevin Ritchie briefed Spokane County commissioners on May 19 that the county is prepared to accept a FIFA World Cup grant that provides reimbursement for equipment, training and overtime associated with security planning for events tied to the tournament.
Ritchie said the grant agreement covers the period beginning July 5, 2025, through Aug. 21, 2026, and is funded by the Department of Homeland Security and the Washington Military Department through the Seattle local organizing committee. Equipment listed in the briefing included an agile robot for bomb‑detection operations, aerial platforms to attach to helicopters for overwatch and a long‑range acoustic device limited to voice‑amplification for crowd commands; Ritchie emphasized the model to be procured will not include sound levels intended to cause crowd discomfort.
He said the grant will reimburse overtime for the air unit, bomb disposal unit and the real‑time crime center, and will cover training for counter‑UAS (counter‑drone) operators. Ritchie told commissioners the county was not being asked to fund the equipment if it could not be received inside the grant reimbursement window and that the equipment would remain county property after purchase.
Commissioners raised questions about how many deputies might deploy to the West Side and whether the county would be asked to provide close‑protection security for teams; Ritchie said Spokane’s operational footprint is likely smaller than initially anticipated and that the county’s primary contribution is expected to be equipment, not large deployed staffing assignments. He also said some reimbursement requests will be tied to receipt of equipment in the contract window and that the sheriff and he would decline purchases that could not be reimbursed.
No formal vote or approval by the board was recorded at the briefing; Ritchie invited further questions and said staff would provide any requested follow‑up details.
