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TABLED 11/14 - Commissioners Brown & Fraley - Fire Marshal - Resolution To Support the Designation of the NC State Highway Patrol Voice Interoperability Plan for Emergency Responders (VIPER) as the Next Generation Emergency Services Radio System Platform for Gaston County; Specifically, to Endorse the Fire Service Application for a 2017 FEMA Assistance to Firefighters Grant and to Provide the Required 10% Matching Funds Not to Exceed $200,000
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STAFF CONTACT
Eric Hendrix - Fire Marshal - Fire Department - 704-866-3231
BUDGET IMPACT
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Fund Balance Appropriation. Maximum of $200,000 in County funds (10% match for $2 million Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program)
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BUDGET ORDINANCE IMPACT
N/A
BACKGROUND
Due to the estimated cost burden of upgrading the County’s antiquated emergency services radio system to the next generation platform, departments providing fire and emergency services throughout Gaston County wish to collaboratively seek a Joint Regional Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Assistance to Firefighters Grant (AFG) to more cost-effectively purchase and install the NC State Highway Patrol Voice Interoperability Plan for Emergency Responders (VIPER) county-wide radio system. The AFG program limits such radio system grant awards to non-infrastructure purchases to a maximum of $2 million dollars and requires the regional grant partners to provide a one-time 10% fund match. Since the County was not awarded a FEMA AFG for the 2016 grant cycle, this Board Action seeks to again gain the endorsement of the Gaston County BOC to designate the NC VIPER radio system as the next generation emergency services radio system platform, support the Joint Regional FEMA AFG application, and to provide the required one-time 10% matching grant funds not to exceed $200,000 dollars for the 2017 grant cycle application.
POLICY IMPACT
N/A
ATTACHMENTS
Resolution and AFG Informational Document(s)