A grant from the State Department of Commerce has allowed Whatcom County to purchase millions in needed emergency resources, just ahead of potential seasonal flooding.
The one-time grant of nearly $4.3 million is for county needs that were identified following the devastating flooding in late 2021.
With the grant, the Whatcom County Sheriff’s Office Division of Emergency Management purchased emergency response trailers, electronic message boards, sandbagging machines, a radio simulcast system, enhanced alert and evacuation notification software, and all-weather drones.
STATE GRANT IMPROVES COMMUNITY’S EMERGENCY RESPONSE CAPABILITY
— Whatcom County Sheriff's Office (@whatcomsheriff) October 3, 2023
SHERIFF’S OFFICE USES FUNDS FOR RESPONSE TRAILERS, COMMUNICATION TOOLS, DRONES, MORE
Details here: https://t.co/CPb4TASW5E pic.twitter.com/aRDw4SHZPu
The emergency response trailers will be deployed to impacted areas and are stocked with cots, blankets and pillows, a generator, a tool kit, a First Aid kit, and various other necessities.
“The emergency equipment and response trailers will be deployed to predetermined locations and jurisdictions throughout the county, that have recently been impacted by unprecedented flooding events,” said Undersheriff Doug Chadwick, who oversees WCSO DEM.
Multiple flooding events in late 2021 caused hundreds of millions of dollars in damage to homes and infrastructure, including the failure of the Nooksack River levee near Ferndale.
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