ROCK SPRINGS – Giving members of their departments every advantage out in the field has always been a goal of the Rock Springs Fire and Police Departments. To do this, they have to have the support of the Rock Springs City Council. The council continued to show support Tuesday night as they approved two homeland security grants which will benefit community safety.

The first grant approved was a United States Department of Homeland Security, for law enforcement and terrorism prevention-oriented activities in the amount of $17,691.86. RSPD Cmdr. Clark Robinson told SweetwaterNOW they are currently reviewing the specifics of the grant.

In the past, this grant has been used to purchase equipment including the cameras in police vehicles and other equipment. Robinson said this grant cannot be used for personnel costs or to purchase new vehicles and similar things. He said they have to be used for things like gas masks and equipment to protect officers in situations they may face.

Robinson said they have not specifically decided what to use the grant money on at this point. They are not only reviewing the specifics of the grant, but also looking at inventory and focusing on the safety of their officers in the field.

The second grant  award was also from the U. S. Dept. of Homeland Security in the amount of $100,000.00 for implementation of Presidential Policy Directive 8. This grant was accepted by the Region IV Response Team.

The Region IV Team is overseen by RSFD Chief Lyle Armstrong and is mainly made up of members of the Rock Springs Fire Department and Sweetwater County Bomb Squad.

RSFD Cpt. Scott Paulson explained the team responds to hazardous material situations and other similar situations in Sweetwater, Uinta and Lincoln Counties and Sublette County when called. Several years ago when one of Pinedale’s schools had several students get sick from a mysterious odor, the Region IV Team was called to assist in the investigation of the cause.

The team responds to between 15 and 20 incidents a year but many of those calls are mainly for the bomb squad.

“We have really made quite an effort in the past couple of years to reach out to the other communities and let them know there is this resource available to them,” Paulson said.

Like the RSPD, Paulson said they are also reviewing the grant and going through what would benefit the team the most. He said they can use the grant money for equipment, training and to refill current materials and supplies that may be running low.