HERMISTON, Ore.-Advanced radio equipment will enhance communications and safety for Umatilla County Fire District #1 (UCFD1), thanks to a $30,000 grant from the Wildhorse Foundation.
“We are incredibly grateful to the Wildhorse Foundation for this critical investment in public safety,” said UCFD1 Fire Chief Scott Stanton. “This equipment will directly enhance the safety and effectiveness of our first responders and improve coordination with our local, state, and federal partners.”
With the grant funding, UCFD1 was able to purchase 16 new portable radios with upgraded communication capabilities that will enhance operations with mutual aid agencies through the Umatilla Morrow Radio Data District system.
The radios will ensure smoother coordination during multi-agency incidents, according to UCFD1, and will allow direct communication with federal land management agencies during emergencies, including the Bureau of Land Management, the U.S. Forest Service, and the Oregon Department of Forestry.
UCFD1 will also get a portable repeater radio system to help maintain communications in areas where signal strength may be weak or compromised during an emergency.
The repeater transmits weak signals at higher frequencies, which reduces breakdowns in communications and increases firefighter safety, according to UCFD1.
Wildhorse Grants are awarded quarterly, with the deadlines being January 1, April 1, July 1, and October 1.
Since 2001, the Wildhorse Foundation has awarded over $19 million in grant funding to eligible nonprofit, government, and Tribal organizations within the homeland area of the Cayuse, Umatilla, and Walla Walla people.
More information on grant funding is available online through the Wildhorse Foundation.
Haha, $30,000 for 16 radios! Now UCFD1 can finally communicate when theyre both simultaneously stealing the others donuts during a joint training exercise. Good to see the Wildhorse Foundation spreading the wealth, though – keeps those federal agencies on their toes! Just hope the new radios have a Donut Alert feature, because thats the real emergency around here.