DETCOG hears emergency plan update

The Board of Directors of the Deep East Texas Council of Governments (DETCOG) met Thursday in Newton.

The gathering was highlighted by emergency preparedness plans, a report on DETCOG's Hurricane Rita Relief efforts and the regional grants review.

Board President Charles Simmons of Nacogdoches presented a Resolution authorizing the submission of a grant request to ORCA to continue the Regional Review Grant Process.

The board approved the annual Homeland Security Plan as reported from the Chairman of the DETCOG Emergency Preparedness Task Force, Diboll City Manager, Kenneth Williams. Williams reported that the region appeared well on its way to achieving its goal of a "Level 6" in interoperable communications, the highest designation, by the end of September 2008.

Reaching that level of achievement would mean that communications gateways at every sheriff's office, and the cities with their own police/fire dispatchers, could be used to facilitate communications between all emergency responders.

Installation of one hundred foot communications towers at each sheriff's office as well as additional communications gateway programming and additional staff training are planned. Williams also discussed plans for the installation of a network of Highway Information Systems, low power AM radio stations like those at the entrances at Bush Intercontinental Airport, to disseminate information during a disaster or emergency. The radio stations would be located along the designated evacuation routes which include Highway 87, Highway 96, Highway 69 and Highway 59.

DETCOG Executive Director, Walter Diggles, reported on the agency's Hurricane Rita Relief program. DETCOG has funding approval from the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs for six mobile homes from the current Hurricane Rita Relief Community Development Block Grant program.

Four of the mobile homes have been delivered and twenty more households have been certified as eligible for assistance.

Two hundred fifty six households total have been qualified as meeting income requirements for the program. Diggles also announced that the agencies throughout the DETCOG region that qualified for funding through the Texas Department of Health and Human Service's Hurricane Rita Social Services Block Grant program in FY 2007 had been renewed for FY 2008.

In other business, the DETCOG Board voted to accept the recommendations of the Grants Application Review Committee. Community Action of Nacogdoches, Inc. presented two grants totaling $6,352,000 for their Head Start program.

The grant applications say they will use the funds to provide Head Start program services for three hundred fifty two children in Nacogdoches, Houston, Trinity, Walker and San Jacinto counties.

The Chester Independent School District also presented an application for a $1,180,000 grant.

The funds would be used to renovate buildings in the district. Having received favorable recommendations in the regional review process, the grant applications will now go to federal government agencies for review and possible funding.

The next DETCOG Board meeting date has been moved to Nov. 29. The meeting will be held in Polk County.