Shreveport Police Dept.

Date: Dec. 16, 2004

Phone: 318/673-6932 Fax: 318/673-6933

Contact: Kacee Hargrave, Public Information Officer

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Caddo Parish agencies receive grant to improve emergency communications

Caddo Parish public safety agencies are receiving a $4 million federal grant to enhance emergency communications within the parish.

The grant is part of the Interoperable Communications Technology Program funded by the U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of Community Oriented Policing Services.

The $4 million will be used in a variety of ways to improve communications between the 25 Caddo Parish public safety agencies and the Caddo Parish 911 Communications District as it relates to homeland security. The grant will provide for a number of things, including:

• the installation of laptop computers in emergency vehicles, including Caddo Parish Sheriff's deputies patrol cars, Shreveport Fire Department emergency vehicles, and all of parish's municipal police departments and independent fire districts.

• the installation of police radios in Shreveport Police units and the purchase of software for laptops to integrate with other computer systems currently in use by SPD.

"All public safety agencies in the parish will be able to e-mail and communicate back and forth during natural disasters or other emergencies," said Shreveport Chief of Police Mike Campbell.

The metropolitan area that includes Shreveport was the only region in Louisiana to be invited to apply for the grant this year. New Orleans received a similar grant last year.

Based on information gathered from other law enforcement agencies across the country, Caddo Parish is ahead of the curve. While many of the other agencies are just trying to get their agencies on the same radio system, Caddo Parish agencies are able to link its computer networks as well.

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"The interoperability grant will take us to another level of emergency preparedness for disasters that may impact the city and parish," said Shreveport Fire Chief Kelvin Cochran. "The ability to communicate between agencies with the latest in communications technology significantly enhances public safety."

This latest measure is a continuation of the ongoing partnership and teamwork that all of the local agencies have developed over the years.

"For over a decade, the public safety agencies of Caddo Parish and the Caddo 911 District have worked hand-in-hand to provide technology and systems that have a direct and positive impact on the welfare of our citizens," said Fred McClanahan, chair of the Caddo Parish 911 Board of Officers.

"This grant and the technological advances that will flow from it will move Caddo’s public safety agencies dramatically forward in their ability to serve those whom they are sworn to protect."

Caddo Parish Sheriff Steve Prator agreed. "We're excited about the new technology this brings to the Caddo Sheriff's Office that will help us work hand-in-hand with other public safety agencies in our parish."

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View all SPD press releases at www.ci.shreveport.la.us/dept/police/spdnews