Press release from ComEd:
Annual Powering Safe Communities Program supports community resiliency with $170,000 in funding for public safety initiatives
To enhance public safety and quality of life in communities across northern Illinois, ComEd and the Metropolitan Mayors Caucus announced grants of up to $10,000 each to 25 public agencies through the ComEd Powering Safe Communities Program. Six are in the south suburbs. From digital messaging and speed notification signage to cameras that help locate victims in danger, the projects address critical safety needs in the communities ComEd serves.
Since 2015, ComEd has supported critical safety needs of local municipalities through Powering Safe Communities, bringing essential public safety programs and services to people and populations throughout the energy company’s service territory.
For the past four grant cycles, ComEd has collaborated with the Metropolitan Mayors Caucus, a council for Chicagoland’s chief elected officials, on public policy issues and to fund $670,000 worth of public safety projects throughout northern Illinois. Through this collaboration, ComEd provides the program funding, the Metropolitan Mayors Caucus administers the grants to local communities, and grant recipients match ComEd’s contribution with their own funding of equal or greater value. Read more.
The 6 ComEd Powering Safe Communities Program grant recipients for 2019 in the Southland include:
City of Calumet City: This grant will support the purchase of a back-up generator for City Hall to enable visitors to use a lift to reach the second-floor safely in the event of power outages. The generator will help to provide sustainable access for all to the city’s administrative activities, services, traffic court, and more.
Village of Dolton: The grant will support the purchase of portable, programmable, and energy-efficient speed display signs for multiple locations throughout the village, as well as portable traffic-calming devices to enhance safety in school zones and residential locations. The signs will be used in conjunction with bright LED blinkers to increase motorists’ awareness of their speed in these critical areas.
Village of Hazel Crest: The grant will help replace the police department’s outdated radios through the purchase of four public-safety, all-weather radios. The purchase will assist the department in reaching its goal of outfitting its first responders with 40 radios.
Village of Lansing: This grant will support the purchase of pole-mounted radar signs equipped with data loggers and cordless handheld radar units. The radar units, which will be used in school zones and other high-traffic and accident-prone areas, can provide instant feedback to drivers and collect data regarding traffic volume and vehicle speeds. The project will last one year, during which traffic data will be analyzed to determine optimal time and location for traffic enforcement.
Village of Mokena Police Department: This grant will support the replacement of nine-year-old, near-obsolete, refurbished laptop computers with updated technology for use in patrol cars. Seven laptops are needed to complete transition of the entire fleet to a current technology, and the grant funding will help offset the purchase cost. The new technology will assist officers in conducting investigations and research, as well as completing reports, without leaving their patrol beats.
Village of University Park: This grant will support the purchase of a stand-by generator for the village’s Fire Station 1. The generator will allow the fire department to continue safety services and protection for residents and business owners during power outages, including those caused by natural disasters.