This project was, along with the renovation/conversion of the Spruce Street Firehouse into a community center, one of the priority projects of Democratic Directors when they attended the National League of Cities National Conference in Washington, D.C. this spring.
From the article:
"We are excited we have an opportunity to get the funding," Democratic Director Kevin L. Zingler, who attended the conference and pitched the project with Shanley and other Democrats, said today. "It's the fruits of our labor ... I hope everything goes through the appropriate" channels.
In Manchester, a new emergency operations center would be on the second floor of the public works building off Olcott Street, and would provide the necessary space for communications and operations along with areas for office work, meetings, and dormitories.
The facility would be staffed for regional disasters, but Manchester would have priority should an event happen here.Meeting space in Lincoln Center now serves as the town's emergency operations center, but its configuration prevents it from doing so efficiently, officials have said.
Communications equipment from the downtown firehouse would have to be wheeled on a cart to Lincoln Center to set up a command post.
Manchester has also been offered $250,000 by the Capitol Region Emergency Planning Committee (of the Capital Region Council of Governments). The funds will come from the Homeland Security grant and will satisfy all other necessary costs and overhead - not covered by the direct federal appropriation - needed to establish the center here.
You can read the press release from Senator Dodd's office here.
