Commissioners award Title III funds to fire and mapping projects

MINERAL COUNTY - At regular meetings of the Mineral County Commissioners on Dec. 31, county commissioners awarded Title III funds to two projects that submitted proposals before the deadline. 

Title III funds are awarded as part of the federally funded Secure Rural Schools program and can be used for activities within the Firewise Communities Program, to reimburse the county for search and rescue and other emergency services that took place in the national forests and to develop community wildfire protection plans. 

Roger Hearst submitted a proposal for $12,000 to be allocated to the local Firewise Communities Program and Commissioner Duane Simons read the proposed goals of the project. 

“Education and training can reduce the possibility of fire in structures, increase firefighter safety and accomplish training and education on fire hazards throughout Mineral County as needed,” Simons read. 

The second proposal was for a continuation of the Mineral County Geographic Information Project, which helps provide up to date mapping for fire and other emergency personnel in the county. 

Title III allocations for the project were proposed at $25,000. 

“It’s money well spent that we can coordinate the addresses and the amount of sophistication we can in our system,” County Planner Tim Read said. “It covers many bases.” 

Commissioner Simons agreed with Read and said the program is “really important.” 

This year, Mineral County will have an estimated $78,000 in Title III funds to allocate to projects and entities that fall within the guidelines. 

Traditionally the remainder of the funds are allocated to the Mineral County Sheriff’s Office in accordance to the calls they respond and emergency services they provide in the national forests.  

Commissioner Roman Zylawy made a motion to accept both projects for Title III funding which was seconded by Commissioner Clark Conrow and approved unanimously. 

At a later portion of the county commissioners meetings, it was requested that the Sheriff’s Office provide county commissioners with a list of calls responded to in national forests by the office in the past year. 

Undersheriff Mike Boone agreed to prepare the list in order to receive funds from Title III allocations.