Six Cook Cook County Municipalities Win Homeland Security Grants

OAK FOREST, IL — Six Cook County municipalities have been awarded more than $600,000 in U.S. Homeland Security Department grants.

The grants are designed to assist high-threat, high density urban areas in order to build, sustain, and deliver the capabilities necessary to prevent, protect against, mitigate, respond to and recover from acts of terrorism.

Those awarded funding include:

• Bridgeview (Fire Department-Ballistic Helmets, Vests and Carriers)
• Chicago Heights (Fire Department – MCI Bags; Police Dept. – Operation Overwatch)
• Dolton (Water System Security)
• Justice (Early Warning System)
• Oak Forest (Homeland Security Communications Tower & Resiliency Improvements)
• Tinley Park (ALPR Technology System)

“The addition of a new communications tower will allow the City of Oak Forest to increase integration of radio signals and expand all City services that currently use microwave technology," said Oak Forest Mayor Hank Kuspa in a statement. "This will also increase coverage for all back-up systems. A new communications tower will ensure that the City can continue to provide efficient and effective services to the residents of Oak Forest.”

The federal money is awarded through the Cook County Department of Homeland Security & Emergency Management and is administered by the State of Illinois Emergency Management Agency.

“I am gratified that some of our municipalities applied for and will receive this needed funding," said Cook County Commissioner Donna Miller, D-6th, said in a statement. “I pray we will not have an incident, but we must remain ever vigilant and prepared, and this funding will assist in that endeavor."