Enhance the City of Folsom Emergency Operations Center

The Congressionally Selected Awards Program, authorized by the Omnibus Appropriations Act, 2009 (Pub. L. 111-8), helps improve the functioning of the criminal justice system, prevent or combat juvenile delinquency, and/or assist victims of crime (other than compensation). Funds should be used for the projects selected by Congress, in the amounts specified in the joint explanatory statement incorporated by reference into Pub. L. 111-8, and generally consistent with one or more of the following statutory purposes: improving the functioning of the criminal justice system, preventing or combating juvenile delinquency, or assisting victims of crime (other than compensation). Each of these purposes is framed using language drawn, respectively, from the former Byrne discretionary statute, the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act, the Victims of Crime Act, and the Violence Against Women Act. This project is authorized and funded through a line item in the FY 09 Congressional Budget and by the joint explanatory statement that is incorporated by reference into the FY09 Omnibus Appropriations Act.

The city of Folsom will use the grant award to expand the Folsom Emergency Operations Centers (EOC). The city is one of three Emergency Operations Centers within Sacramento County. They will expand the crucial capabilities of the EOC to function for both the city of Folsom and the alternative county Site. The importance of having redundant emergency management capacity is critical to obtaining a well-balanced strategy for handling natural or man made events.

The Folsom EOC project is designed to be a regional asset to bolster the emergency preparedness for and management of critical incidents for the greater Sacramento region. At the request of the Sacramento County/City Director of Emergency Services, Folsom will be designated as the alternate EOC for the County/City in the event of an incident that would either render their EOC uninhabitable or a significant systems failure that would rend the county facility's ability to communicated, ineffective.

The project will entail the creation of redundant communication trunk systems, including, but not limited to, integrated phone systems switch, video source feeding, and secondary backup of emergency power, data, and radio communications. The integration of data via software is critical to the management of significant incidents where personnel and equipment resources are tasked and managed throughout the event and recovery process. Lesson learned from the recent fire in San Diego County have been examined and best practices are being prioritized for implementation, training, and exercising. Of the many lesson learned, having backup facilities and shared/interchangeable data to operate under NIMS, is important.

NCA/NCF