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Emergency crews to get night goggles FEMA funding pushed through by commissioners

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Mike Sever
October 10, 2008

By Mike Sever

Record-Courier staff writer

Five emergency service departments across Portage County will be getting night vision equipment through a $40,000 grant from the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

Night vision equipment will be going to the Atwater Fire Department and the police departments of Ravenna, Aurora, Hiram and Mantua. Each will receive a Mini Thermal Monocular V-2 unit, valued at $8,000 each.

The grant was sought through the Portage County Office of Homeland Security and Homeland Security at the instruction of the Portage County Board of Commissioners.

"Commissioners sought to work as a team with police and fire departments round the county and offer grant preparation assistance for this federal program," said Commissioner Chris Smeiles.

Commissioners instructed EMA director Jon Barber and grants administrator Dan Banks to pursue the coordinated grant request in the Commercial Equipment Direct Assistance Program run through FEMA.

All five departments that joined in the county grant received funding.

Kent police and fire departments, which filed on their own, also were awarded night vision equipment and a biosensor detector valued at $11,400.

There were other communities in the county that would have participated in the coordinated effort, but had received other federal funding making them ineligible for this grant cycle, Banks said.

"Portage County did better than some states," in getting grants, Banks said.

Barber said the county EMA office has three night vision sets for use by first responders throughout the county. The equipment is used in criminal investigations and also in anti-terrorism instances such as for finding explosives.




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