NW All Hazards Emergency Management Region
News & Updates:
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The Northwest All-Hazards Emergency Management Region (NWAHEMR) is a ten-county region located in the northwest corner of the state. It is comprised of Eagle, Garfield, Grand, Jackson, Mesa, Moffat, Pitkin, Rio Blanco, Routt, and Summit counties. An Executive Board/Steering Committee, made up of each county's emergency manager as well as discipline representatives, meets on a regular basis to develop strategies to improve the preparedness of the region through the use of homeland security grant funds. NWCCOG provides fiscal management and program coordination for the NWAHEMR.
Each year, the NWAHEMR applies for funding from the State of Colorado Governor's Office of Homeland Security for various projects that improve the region's capability to be prepared for emergencies and terrorist attacks. This funding ultimately comes from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
These grants often overlap years. In 2009, the 2007 State Homeland Security Grant (SHSG), Citizen Corp Program (CCP), and Law Enforcement Terrorism Prevention Program (LETPP) grant projects were completed and the grants closed out. The total award for the region was $922,291 and funded the following projects: Purchased and installed 800 MHz DTR mobile radios for all licensed transport ambulances in the NWAHEMR that were still in need; purchased and installed 800 MHz DTR mobile radios for all command level fire vehicles in the NWAHEMR; conducted a regional exercise to test the interoperable capability of the NWAHEMR; conducted a regional CBRNE (chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear, and explosive) exercise to test the functionality of the NWAHEMR's Type III Incident Management Team (IMT); participated in the 5th Annual Western Colorado All-Hazards Conference along with the West and Southwest regions; organized and executed a West Slope Hazmat Exercise; purchased approved gas masks for Grand and Pitkin County law enforcement agencies; purchased Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) kits for Grand County law enforcement agencies; purchased and installed 800 MHz DTR mobile radios for all command level law enforcement vehicles in the NWAHEMR; purchased and installed 800 MHz DTR radios for law enforcement personnel and vehicles in Routt County; trained one new CERT (Community Emergency Response Team) instructor; hosted two new CERT volunteer classes' hosted two skills training classes for existing CERT volunteers.
2009 Accomplishments:
- The 2009 State Homeland Security Grant (SHSG), Citizen Corp Program (CCP), and Interoperable Emergency Communication Grant Program (IECGP) grants were awarded on 12/15/09. The total award for the region was $1,050,500 and will fund the following projects:
Plan development Type III NWCIMT - Participation in the 7th Annual Western Colorado All-Hazards Conference along with the West and Southwest regions.
- Development of a DTR Plan for NWAHEMR.
- Planning and participation in a West Slope full scale hazmat exercise.
- Conversion of Garfield and Moffat County's local law enforcement data to be compatible with the statewide Coplink system.
- Purchase of 800 MHz DTR radios for health care facilities throughout the region.
- Purchase of mobile and portable 800 MHz DTR radios for Mesa County law enforcement agencies.
- Public education campaign related to CERT (Community Emergency Response Team) development.
- Development of a Regional Strategic and Tactical Interoperability Plan (STIP) Upgrade.
- Development of a Regional Narrowbanding Plan.
The 2008 SHSG and CCP grant were awarded on 11/24/08 and the projects were in progress during 2009. Projects funded with the $944,386 from the 2008 grant include the purchase of Gas/ID (Infectious Diseases) Units for Regional Hazmat Teams, the purchase of 800 MHz radios for Grand County law enforcement, participation in the 6th Annual Western Colorado All-Hazards Conference, and the conversion of Pitkin County's local law enforcement data to be compatible with the statewide Coplink system. - The 2007 SHSG, CCP, and LETPP grant projects were completed and the grants closed out. The total award for the region in the 2007 grants was $922,291.