Colorado nets $25 million for safety training

In the wake of terrorism, war and heightened security alerts, it was announced Sunday that Colorado will receive more than $25 million in federal aid to help the state’s first responders.

Michael Brown, Undersecretary for Emergency Preparedness and Response and Director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, announced the grant at the U.S. Conference of Mayors in Denver. Brown said Colorado would receive $25,111,000 to enhance the capabilities of the state and local first responders.

Eighty percent of the funds will be distributed to local governments and will be available for use for equipment, planning, training and exercises for first responders.

Fort Collins City Manager John Fischbach said the City of Fort Collins applied for some of this money on May 12, along with the Fort Collins Police Department, the police and fire departments in Estes Park, the Larimer County Sheriff’s Office, Colorado State University, the Larimer County Health Department and the Northern Colorado Bomb Consortium.

Fischbach said the city applied for $1.1 million to use toward equipment and $75,000 to use for a full-scale public safety exercise next year.

“We’re told that it’s looking good and that the grants will be awarded by the end of June,” he said. “So we’re optimistic about the outcome.”

A portion of the funds will also be available to help offset the costs associated with required enhanced security measures during the conflict in Iraq.

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