The City of Glenwood Springs Fire Department has received a $25,000 Mini Grant from the Garfield County Federal Mineral Lease District, for the purchase of 15 rugged portable radios with spare batteries and remote speaker microphones. The new radios cost about $5,000 each, for a total project cost of $75,000. The remaining cost, after the FMLD grant, will be covered by a $50,000 local cash match.
Effective and reliable communication is essential for timely and coordinated responses to life-threatening incidents, and the Fire Department’s aging radios were beginning to disrupt the work of firefighters who already risk their lives protecting the community.
Fire Chief Gary Tillotson expressed his appreciation, saying “I am grateful to the GCFMLD for funding our request. The department is experiencing a major deterioration in our aging radio equipment and an increase in malfunctions which could affect the safety of our personnel. This grant money in conjunction with match money from our equipment replacement funds will allow the department to replace the bulk of our ‘mission critical’ handheld radios over the next few months. These upgrades will provide for more reliable communication and enhanced firefighter safety.”
The radio replacement project aligns with the GCFMLD’s mission to alleviate social, economic, and public finance impacts resulting from the development of natural resources on federal lands within Garfield County, as well as to deliver services to communities impacted by the development of natural resources. The Garfield County Federal Mineral Lease District announced on Wednesday, April 19, that the City of Glenwood Springs was among the recipients for its spring grant cycle.