Hays County could gain up to approximately $411,000 in state funding to support emergency and incident response through six grant applications. The grant applications were approved by the Hays County Commissioners Court during a March 10 meeting.
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The Hays County Office of Emergency Services will submit two grant applications to the Office of the Governor, Urban Area Security Initiative. The program supports local efforts to prepare for threats and hazards and prevent terrorism and targeted violence.
If granted, the state funding would support emergency responders when engaging with hazardous materials and high levels of radiation. The grants would fund equipment purchases, according to agenda documents, including:
Two isotope identifier backpacks designed to identify radiationSix Level A HazMat suits designed to protect against Class 1 and 2 hazardous materialsClass 1 materials include industrial solid waste, and Class 2 materials include non-hazardous industrial solid waste, according to the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality.
The Hays County Sheriff’s Office will submit three grant applications to the Office of the Governor, Urban Area Security Initiative-Law Enforcement Terrorism Prevention Activities, or LETPA. The funding would support expanded training opportunities and the purchase of incident response vehicles. The grants support:
Four utility vehicles designed to enhance incident responseThe Criminal Interdiction Unit’s attendance at the 2027 National Interdiction Conference, a training and networking opportunityTraining for all members of the drone unit, helping to improve response times, enhance collaborative efforts and better practical skill applicationThe Hays County Fire Marshal’s Office will submit a grant application to the State Homeland Security grant program. The grant funding would support three individual trainings for eight department members, including: