Port St. Lucie receives grant to improve emergency communications

The City of Port St. Lucie, Fla., received a $1 million federal grant to install fiber optic cables to improve emergency communication systems.

The grant came through the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP). The city will use the money to install more than six miles of underground fiber optic cable between the City of Port St. Lucie and St. Lucie County emergency operations centers.

Further, new cables will connect the system to the St. Lucie County Fire Department and the James E. Anderson Water Treatment Plant. This will improve the 911 emergency response system during major storm events.

A recent study by the National Institute of Building Sciences found that one dollar spent on hazard mitigation will save more than six dollars of recovery and rebuilding costs.

Florida has an Enhanced Mitigation Plan approved by FEMA, which means it is eligible for HMGP funding not to exceed 20 percent of the estimated total amount of money spent by FEMA on disaster grants following Hurricane Irma. From this amount, HMGP reimburses the state up to 75 percent of eligible costs for hazard mitigation projects. The remaining amount comes from state and local assets as well as other sources.