By By Michele Gerlach
Escambia County hopes to take advantage of a little-known FEMA program that helps governments with long-term strategic planning and recovery.
Commission Chairman Larry White said he and local Emergency Management Agency director David Jennings recently learned of the program through which FEMA develops long-term recovery plans.
"David and I met with the South Alabama Regional Planning Commission last week and found out more about this," White said. "With this program, FEMA sends a team to evaluate post-hurricane problems.
"This is a very new program," White said. "It has only been taken advantage of by counties in south Florida."
White said that grant funding is sometimes attached to the programs recommended by the long-term recovery advisors.
The commission Monday approved White's recommendation to ask the state Emergency Management Agency for the activation of the program due to Hurricane Ivan.
In other business, the commission approved a bid from CMI Electronics for $41,300 to complete phase 2 of a closed-circuit television system for the jail.rd.