FARMINGTON – SAD 9 will get $270,400 to buy eight digital surveillance systems, security lighting and a large fixed generator for Mt. Blue High School through a federal grant.
Franklin County received a Department of Homeland Security grant of $417,929.53 for emergency preparedness, and some of that money was for the school district. Some of the surveillance systems will be installed at the high school to keep an eye on the people coming into the school, SAD 9 Assistant Superintendent Sue Pratt said Friday.
The biggest part is to create a securer place there, she said. They are also going to put surveillance systems at other schools. There are some older systems already in place at some of the schools.
All of the details haven’t been worked out about who will do the monitoring, she said, but it will be done at a school level and possibly from a building outside of the school as well. The security lights will be installed at the high school parking area. The generator is to make the high school a self-sufficient shelter available to the region, she said.
“We’re very pleased to be part of this process and to provide this kind of support for the county,” Pratt said.
Initially, Tim Hardy, Franklin County emergency manager, said the word was the county was awarded a $420,778.53 grant but there appeared to be an item factored in that wasn’t approved in the grant. The county applied in a collaborative effort for $468,978.53 but didn’t receive some of it.
What didn’t get approved was money for a small fixed generator for the East Dixfield Fire Station, a bank of firefighting foam used to put out certain types of fires, and a mass casualty trailer that NorthStar Emergency Medical Services applied for.
In addition to the equipment for the school, there is $85,509.95 to get equipment for hazardous material and weapons of mass destruction, a hazardous material rehabilitation equipment trailer, a detector to monitor hazardous environments in confined spaces, Hardy said Tuesday.
That money will also pay for a self-containing breathing apparatus fit tester and software. All the fire departments are required by state respiratory protection standards to have firefighters fit tested annually, Hardy said.
Rangeley will get $60,450 to buy a large fixed generator to go in its Public Safety Building, he said.
Franklin Memorial Hospital in Farmington will also receive $1,569.58 for emergency operation center support equipment.
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