$1.5 Million to Construct New Facility for Hancock County Emergency Operations Center Secured by Senator Collins in Funding Bill
Washington, D.C.--U.S. Senator Susan Collins, a senior member of the powerful Senate Appropriations Committee, announced that she secured $1,500,000 for Hancock County Emergency Management Agency in the Fiscal Year 2023 Department of Homeland Security appropriations bill.
The omnibus funding package passed the Senate by a vote of 68-29. It will now be passed by the House before heading to the President’s desk to be signed into law.
“With natural disasters increasing in frequency and intensity, it is critical that Maine has the necessary resources to respond in order to protect public safety, property, and our economy,” said Senator Collins. “The current facility that houses the Hancock County Emergency Operations Center has space and technology limitations that could hamper public safety officials’ ability to respond to an emergency. This new facility will help improve disaster preparedness and response operations in Hancock County to better protect families and local communities during accidents or natural disasters.”
“With the cost of the capital project necessary to see an adequate replacement facility for housing Hancock County’s emergency operations center being prohibitively expensive, an undue burden upon the taxpayers of Hancock County-- especially in the midst of an uncertain economy, this award is very much appreciated by us all,” said Andrew Sankey, Director of the Hancock County Emergency Management Agency. “We’re grateful that Senator Collins recognized the importance of our EMA having the facility necessary to conduct its missions that are of benefit to all our communities, our public safety agencies, local businesses, and the several million seasonal visitors we host annually. The senator’s support in this award demonstrates her consistent commitment to our Homeland Security needs and will do much to protect the people of this region.”
Hancock County’s current Emergency Operations Center is antiquated and outdated. The facility is located in the Hancock County Court House in Ellsworth, which lacks sufficient space and is unsuitable for the installation of newer technology related to radio telecommunications, voice, and data. Additionally, due to the current space limitations, emergency equipment cannot be co-located with the agency and its personnel. This means that sheltering for persons and animals, road closure signs, emergency scene lighting, fuels, emergency interoperable communications equipment, and field-deployed power generation must be located off site.
A new facility will provide sufficient space for personnel and equipment and ensure that the Emergency Operations Center supports incident responses in Hancock County and Acadia National Park.
###
