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Public Safety Measures are High in Westmoreland County
Posted 3-26-2003
In these tense and uncertain
times in which we live, no department in Westmoreland County government
plays a more vital role than our Department of Public Safety. Under the
leadership of Director Rich Matason, former head of Emergency Management for
the Pennsylvania National Guard, we have perhaps the premiere emergency
management professional in the state.
With turmoil around the globe
and regular security alerts at home, no one knows for sure what public
safety threats we may face. But, we have positioned our county to be
prepared for the unknown. We have wisely invested in a new state-of-the-art
911 and Emergency Operations Center. The equipment and technology are
top-notch, and the professionals who are working for us are truly committed
to our safety.
The big-ticket item that the
county is now implementing is the migration to a high-band 800-MHz radio
system for public safety. The work has been underway for several years, and
the system is expected to be up-and-running by July 2004. The timeline does
not call for an abandonment of low-band radio communication, but allows for
duel use until all emergency service providers can move to the 800-MHz
frequency.
This project was surrounded
by controversy several years ago because the previous approach did not build
consensus among emergency service providers. Director Matason took a
different approach, convening a user-group that studied the available
technology and was involved in the decision-making process every step of the
way. As a result, fire, police, and EMS personnel throughout the county are
enthusiastic that 800-MHz is an important step forward for radio
communications and emergency services.
While much work has been put
into the 800-MHz project and the new 911 center, a secure system requires an
effective back-up. To build another back-up center would have been extremely
costly. Rather, we replaced our broken-down mobile command post that had
serious and costly mechanical problems with a new state-of-the-art mobile
command post. The mobile command post will not only serve as an operations
center during disasters or emergencies, but will also serve as a back-up 911
center -- something the old command post was incapable of doing.
The county was able to
acquire the command post through part of a $2 million federal emergency
management grant secured by Congressman John Murtha. A portion of this money
($700,000) funded the mobile command post, and the remainder ($1.3 million)
is going towards acquiring hand-held radios for emergency service providers.
With county bond proceeds, we are also acquiring base station radios and
printers for every emergency service provider in the county.
Knowing where people in need
of service are located is another key to effective emergency management, and
we are currently finalizing a re-addressing project to meet this end. In a
county that covers more than 1,000 square miles, ranging from mountains on
the eastern border, two river valleys in the north and south, and suburban
housing developments on our western boundary, it has become increasingly
difficult to dispatch emergency services to locations in need. We have
invested several million dollars over the past four years to canvas the
entire county, meaning every single residence and business. We have worked
with municipal governments and the U.S. Postal Service to eliminate
duplicate street names and assign city-style street addresses to all former
rural delivery addresses. While the process may have been upsetting to some
people who underwent address changes, in the long run, it is an important
step in improving public safety.
We have also made a
commitment to having our emergency service providers receive the best
available training. Through the Westmoreland County Community College, we
have invested in an Emergency Services Training Center that is under
construction in South Huntingdon Township. The county and the commonwealth
each underwrote one-half of the capital cost of the center. It will provide
fire, police, and EMS personnel with up-to-date training, while also helping
to increase enrollment at the college. The center will likely serve more
than just Westmoreland County emergency service providers. Because of its
proximity to Interstate 70, we expect the center to attract emergency
personnel from throughout the tri-state area.
But, public safety is more
than equipment and technology. It is about people with knowledge,
experience, and commitment. That is what we have in Westmoreland County.
From the volunteer firefighters in our communities, to the local police, to
the emergency service dispatchers and their supervisors at our 911 Center,
we have men and women who, day in and day out, dedicate their careers to
making life safer for all of us.
As county commissioner, my
primary role is to ensure that we invest public dollars as prudently as
possible and that we have the most capable staff working in our Department
of Public Safety. Equipment and paid professionals do not come cheaply. But,
what price tag can we put on human life? I have worked hard to ensure
equipment is purchased competitively and have driven hard bargains with
vendors who often see government as a cash cow. I am confident we have
struck the proper balance between spending prudently and being prepared. |
