Pueblo County College District 70 has been awarded just about $1.1 million in grant budget by way of the Colorado Department of Place of origin Safety and Emergency Control (DHSEM), which might be used to improve emergency communications programs in different faculties.
Pueblo D70 was once considered one of seven college districts in Colorado to obtain budget throughout the 2022 College Get entry to for Emergency Reaction (SAFER) Grant Program, and its award might be used to improve present emergency communique programs at 16 of twenty-two faculties inside the district.
Since 2008, the district has used a public protection community of two-way radios for communique between district body of workers and emergency responders. As soon as upgraded programs are positioned into structures, SAFER budget additionally will strengthen a coaching in disaster program for district body of workers and emergency responders.
Colleges receiving upgrades to communique programs in Pueblo D70 are to be introduced someday, in step with spokesperson Lynnette Bonfiglio.
“Investment from the grant will permit us to put in an up to date and strong multichannel, school-safe, interoperable communique gadget that bridge 3 other radio programs in combination to be used on our faculty campuses, then a large space protection for our districtwide safety operations and indubitably our regionwide emergency responder operations without delay throughout the 911 gadget,” Bonfiglio stated.
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SAFER was once enacted by way of the Colorado Basic Meeting in 2018 thru Senate Invoice 18-158 and appropriates investment for communique era to college districts and forums of cooperative instructional services and products (BOCES) to support college safety.
Producing grant monies from the Colorado public college fund, SAFER was once established as a six-year program, which means it’ll be carried out thru Colorado’s 2023-24 fiscal 12 months, in step with the Colorado Basic Meeting.
Just about $4.86 million was once allotted to the SAFER program this 12 months. Pueblo D70 and Widefield College District 3 in Colorado Springs have been the one districts with SAFER awards exceeding $1 million this 12 months, in step with the Colorado DHSEM.
Different college districts receiving budget come with Elizabeth College District, 27J Colleges, Weld County College District 6, Alamosa College District and Moffat Consolidated College District No. 2. Two BOCES, Northeast Colorado BOCES and San Juan BOCES, additionally gained budget, in step with Colorado DHSEM.
All budget awarded by way of the SAFER grant would possibly handiest be used for the acquisition, set up and upkeep of communique era, along with communique coaching.
That is the primary 12 months Pueblo D70 has gained investment thru SAFER and the district might be eligible to use for investment in 2023, Bonfiglio stated.
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Pueblo Chieftain reporter James Bartolo can also be reached by way of electronic mail at [email protected]