Bartholomew County has been awarded grant funding from the Indiana Department of Homeland Security for hazardous materials training.
The county received $6,499 from the state that will be used to provide eight hours of classroom training to local law enforcement and county township fire departments in the area, said Shannan Hinton, director of Bartholomew County Emergency Management.
The money, which must be spent by Sept. 30, will provide simulation exercises to first responders and was unanimously accepted by the Bartholomew County Commissioners on Monday.
The training, offered each year, will increase awareness for public-safety officers on what substances they might face when arriving at a scene, Hinton said.
“We spend a lot of money on training, but it’s important to go through that drill,” Bartholomew County Commissioner Larry Kleinhenz said.
Also Monday, county officials accepted a Bartholomew County sign-replacement project.
Bartholomew County Engineer Danny Hollander told commissioners that 670 signs were replaced under a federal highway program, which paid 90 percent of the costs with the county picking up the remaining $5,871.
The project, which started last year, was recently completed and included the replacement of stop signs to make them more reflective to the public, Hollander said. Hollander also told commissioners that some road signs were discovered missing in the Ohio Township area.
