By Kyle Dante

The Metro Boston Homeland Security Region met last Friday with nine officials from towns and cities across Massachusetts. Not having met since July of 2021 due to concerns over the Covid-19 pandemic, the meeting featured Regional Planner Jillian Eweka leading the event on budget matters.

Concerning Somerville specifically, the city is deemed to be on the right track. The Jurisdiction Point of Contact (JPOC) mentions the city’s allocation at $75,000 for this year and 2024. The amount will be $50,000 in 2023. For 2022, Somerville is at a net gain of 0: it has used its grant and been reimbursed.

Somerville and its neighbors must specifically outline their budget use. In addition, the budget must operate in conjunction with the Metro Boston Homeland Security Region’s strategies. The MBHSR has four radio channel groups responding to emergencies. Among the radio channels included: dispatch channels, public safety agencies, regional channels, and national interoperability systems.

In addition, the policy is in alignment with the Threat and Hazard Identification and Risk Assessment. THIRA is a three-step procedure: identifying potential danger in a community, the impact of said danger, and what capabilities the community has in case of an occurrence. The goal is to produce a safe and accessible city or town.

There is a call to immediate action. Somerville and its neighbors must submit their budget plan by the end of February. Furthermore, a follow-up Zoom meeting regarding more information will also take place in February. These plans are critical as the year goes forward, determining what will take place within the community.