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Dunedin To Seek Homeland Security Grant

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By Mark  Schantz | The Suncoast News

Published: July 11, 2008

DUNEDIN -- Fire Department officials told city commissioners Thursday the city has an opportunity to acquire a $453,750 grant from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to build an emergency operations and training center.

The grant funds would cover up to 75 percent of the cost of building the 2,500-square-foot emergency operations-training center complex, Fire Chief Bud Meyer said.

The center would be constructed next to the department's administration building, on Virginia Street.

Commissioners needed little convincing and voted 4-0 to authorize the Fire Department to seek the grant. Mayor Bob Hackworth was not at Thursday's City Commission meeting.

Prior to the vote, Meyer said having the EOC close to the administration building would make city staff better equipped to handle emergencies.

Division Fire Chief Bill McElligott learned of the grant and moved quickly to compile application documents.

The city would pay its share of the cost of construction, about $175,000, with fire impact fees, McElligott said. It would take another $100,000 to furnish the building, which would be regularly used for training purposes, Meyer said.

Firefighters now must train in any fire station or city building in which they can find space, Meyer said. The center would be equipped to allow firefighters to train on a regular basis.

In addition, the city would have an EOC that would not have to be evacuated during a hurricane if it were on Virginia Street, Meyer said. The current EOC, the city's Martin Luther King Jr. Recreation Complex, would have to be abandoned during the severest type of hurricane because it is in an E-level evacuation zone, he said.

The King Center would still be used to stage city workers in the event of a storm and for its emergency phone center, he said.

The city has allocated Penny for Pinellas sales tax dollars in its long term capital improvement plan to pay for construction of an EOC and training center in 2014, Meyer said. If the city were awarded the grant it would begin construction as soon as possible, possibly early next year, he said.

Commissioner Dave Eggers said he favors trying to get the grant since it would free up Penny for Pinellas revenue and getting the EOC out of a flood zone is a good idea.

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