Wisconsin's plan to deal with terrorist threats received $2.78 million in funding Tuesday from the U.S. Department of Justice.
The Wisconsin Emergency Management division of the state Department of Military Affairs, which organizes state response to a variety of different disasters, is beginning to evaluate the funds' allocation of Statewide Domestic Preparedness Strategic Plan funds for individual counties.
\For over two years, we've been working with county officials to assess their strengths and weaknesses to put together a statewide plan,"" said Lori Getter of WEM.
According to Getter, the money from the statewide plan will be used to purchase personal protective, detection and monitoring, and communication equipment for local counties.
""It's very critical equipment and very expensive, as any high-tech equipment is,"" Getter said, adding that the equipment is not only for terrorism but also for day-to-day use.
She also said the WEM advocates this plan to ensure the needs of each county are met. This includes, for example, helping fire departments deal with hazardous waste by providing them with personal protective gear like masks and oxygen.
""Many communities only have volunteer fire departments at this point,"" and therefore receive an allocated amount of the funds, she said.
Wisconsin was the 10th state to submit the required federal plan to the U.S. Department of Justice, which it did in October.
WEM has already begun to prioritize equipment purchased based on meetings with fire and law enforcement officials.
While WEM is still planning the distribution of the funds, Dane County already has a plan on how to use an $18,360 grant approved by Gov. Scott McCallum Wednesday for developing medical protocols in the event of a terrorist strike.
Getter said she feels this grant will help Dane County deal with terrorism by keeping better track of pharmaceutical supplies, heightening security measures and allowing the county to develop immunization plans for small pox and other diseases.
""The money will be used to contract with the county's medical director to oversee the development of a pharmaceutical plan, protocols, integration of that information into priority medical dispatch system for prehospital instructions,"" said Ray Pena of Dane County Emergency Management.
Out of the $18,360, $5,400 will go toward pharmaceutical development, including meetings and data collection. Also, $4,860 will also be used for developing plans for dealing with biological warfare and $8,100 for prehospital instruction.
Getter said that the planning for the grant started a few years following the Oklahoma City bombing when the WEM asked counties to assess their risks of terrorist attacks.
""Every county has a basic emergency plan they developed on their own,"" she said.
