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$1.75M in Emergency Radio Infrastructure Grants Approved for East Texas

ETCOG Public Safety • December 10, 2024

Four Critical Projects Funded to Improve Radio Interoperability

A red and white tower with a blue sky in the background.

The East Texas Council of Governments (ETCOG) is proud to announce the approval of $1.75 million in grants awarded to East Texas jurisdictions. These grants aim to enhance public safety by addressing critical emergency radio infrastructure needs. Funded through Texas State House Bill 442 and administered by the Governor’s Public Safety Office, the State Emergency Radio Infrastructure (SERI) program will support four key projects during the FY25/FY26 grant cycle. These projects were identified and proposed by ETCOG to improve current capabilities and address significant communication gaps.


The funded projects include:


Project 1 — Rains County VHF System Upgrade: Rains County's current VHF system is experiencing severe operability issues, hindering communication between officers and dispatch. This poses significant safety risks for officers in the field. To ensure the safety of responders, we will establish two new Motorola tower locations with improved height and coverage, along with new repeater equipment.


Project 2 — Harrison County TxWARN Expansion: Harrison County is expanding its TxWARN system. To address a communication dead spot between Harrison and Gregg counties, a new Motorola tower will be established to enhance coverage for both counties and make it accessible for TxDOT use.


Project 3 — Van Zandt County Interoperability Enhancement: Van Zandt County currently operates a radio system with L3Harris. This project will upgrade all five repeaters across its towers to improve interoperability with its Volunteer Fire Departments (VFDs) and other agencies.


Project 4 — City of Kilgore TxWARN Integration: The City of Kilgore recently joined the TxWARN system alongside Gregg County and the City of Longview. We will upgrade their consoles to fully integrate their services into TxWARN.


Rains County Commissioner Jeremy Cook emphasizes the importance of these upgrades. “Rains County, like other small counties, has witnessed technology surpass our current communication infrastructure capabilities,” said Commissioner Cook. “We have had numerous dangerous incidents where our first responders were unable to communicate. Fortunately, no one has been hurt or worse.


“Our Sheriff, Michael Hopkins, brought this issue to our attention, and with the assistance of Donetta Miller and the incredible ETCOG staff, we were fortunate enough to secure the SERI grant,” Commissioner Cook added. “Donetta has gone above and beyond, connecting us with key partners like TxDOT, who will assist with the design, construction, and maintenance of the tower and communication system. This grant will create a safer and more successful environment for all first responders in Rains County while enhancing communications with state and local departments—truly a win-win.”


In Harrison County, officials see the grant as a crucial step in achieving a long-term goal of modernizing communication systems. Harrison County Judge Chad Sims reflected on the progress made over the past two years.


"A little over two years ago, leadership in Harrison County and the City of Marshall embarked on a multi-million-dollar journey to modernize and revitalize aging communications systems that were severely lacking," said Judge Sims. "With the goal of ‘interoperable communications’ for all Harrison County first responders in mind, we partnered with other governmental agencies and private enterprises to develop a comprehensive plan.”


Judge Sims explained how the SERI grant aligned perfectly with their vision. “In the early Spring of 2024, a SERI grant became available to support the construction and equipping of a communications tower. With assistance and guidance from the ETCOG staff, we applied and were recently awarded $750,000. This grant enables us to plug a big hole in our coverage map, accomplishing this critical improvement years ahead of schedule. The new tower and equipment will provide a much greater blanket of coverage for our first responders, translating to confidence and security for everyone.”


Project funding details are outlined below. For more information, contact ETCOG’s Director of Public Safety, Stephanie Heffner, at 903.218.6461.


County Consoles Generator Repeaters Tower Repeater Shelter Totals
Rains $72,280.00 $43,000.00 $61,600.00 $373,120.00 $50,000.00 $600,000.00
Van Zandt $180,000.00 $180,000.00
Kilgore $220,000.00 $220,000.00
Harrison $750,000.00 $750,000.00
TOTAL $1,750,000.00
A police officer is holding a microphone in his pocket.

Homeland Security, Criminal Justice Grant Funding Available for East Texas Public Safety Projects

By East Texas Council of Governments • December 19, 2024
State agencies, local governments, nonprofit organizations, universities or colleges, and federally recognized Native American tribes can soon apply for FY 2026 grant funds from the Office of the Governor, Public Safety Office , State Homeland Security Grant Program and Criminal Justice division. New and continuing applicants in ETCOG’s fourteen (14) county region are invited to attend FREE grant application workshops hosted by the ETCOG Public Safety division . Workshops for each grant category to be held virtually from December 18, 2024, through February 13, 2025. Grant funding will be available for the following programs: Homeland Security State Homeland Security Program – Regular Projects (SHSP-R) Law Enforcement Terrorism Prevention Activities (LETPA) Criminal Justice General Victim Assistance Direct Services Program (VOCA) Violence Against Women Justice and Training Program (VAWA) Juvenile Justice & Truancy Prevention Grant Program (SF-JJTP) Criminal Justice Program (DJ-JAG) “The goal is to improve public safety, support victims of crime, and assist jurisdictions by filling gaps in the region via funding that promotes innovative solutions to regional problems,” said ETCOG’s Public Safety Director, Stephanie Heffner. “We help applicants understand what needs to go into their grant applications and what they have to track once they receive funding from the state so we can successfully bring public safety projects to East Texas.” Workshops for Homeland Security will be held on the following dates: Wednesday, December 18, 2024 - 10:00 AM Wednesday, January 1, 2025 - 10:00 AM Wednesday, January 8, 2025 - 10:00 AM Wednesday, January 15, 2025 - 10:00 AM Wednesday, January 22, 2025 - 10:00 AM Wednesday, January 29, 2025 - 10:00 AM Wednesday, February 5, 2025 - 10:00 AM Workshops for Criminal Justice will be held on the following dates: Monday, January 7, 2025 - 2:00 PM Wednesday, January 15, 2025 - 10:00 AM Thursday, January 23, 2025 - 2:30 PM Wednesday, January 29, 2025 - 2:00 PM Workshops are mandatory if you plan to apply for funding. To participate in a virtual workshop for Homeland Security, visit www.pineywoods911.com/homeland-security . To participate in a virtual workshop for Criminal Justice, visit www.pineywoods911.com/criminal-justice .
A woman in a police uniform is standing in a park.

$3.4M in Public Safety Grants Approved for East Texas Region

By ETCOG Public Safety • December 17, 2024
The East Texas Council of Governments (ETCOG) announces $3.4 million in grants from the Governor's Public Safety Office awarded to East Texas jurisdictions and nonprofits.
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