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Marshall County to accept $27,300 Homeland Security grant and apply for $150,000 port-security drone grant
Summary
Commissioners approved accepting a $27,300 Homeland Security grant for the Alabama Mutual Aid Team and authorized applying for a $150,000 Port Security grant (25% match) to purchase drones for EMA and sheriff operations.
Marshall County commissioners approved acceptance of a $27,300 Homeland Security grant to support the Alabama Mutual Aid Team and authorized the county to apply for a Port Security grant to buy drones for the EMA and the sheriff’s office.
An agency representative described the $27,300 award as an annual grant that helps fund rescue teams’ equipment and training; staff said the teams are currently deployed out of county to Texas. The motion to accept the Homeland Security grant (no match required) carried.
On a related item, staff asked permission to apply for a Port Security grant to purchase five drones and asked the commission to set the project amount at $150,000 with a 25% match from department budgets. The EMA representative said different drones have different capabilities, including thermal night vision and limited payload capability for drop tasks, and the sheriff described plans to store drones in patrol vehicles for rapid response to missing-person searches and damage assessments. "They're there and they're ready to go," the sheriff said, contrasting drone response time to helicopter deployments.
Commissioners approved applying for the Port Security grant and the match plan. Staff said the match would be split between the EMA and sheriff's budgets and that LEPC and industry partners have indicated willingness to help with match funding.
