.S. Congressman Harold “Hal” Rogers (KY-05) announced today that Congress has approved $500,000 for initial planning and design work for an enhanced and expanded statewide Emergency Operations Center (EOC), operated by the Kentucky Division of Emergency Management. These funds were approved by both the House and Senate as part of the FY 2010 Homeland Security Appropriations bill, which was signed into law this week by the President.

“Mother Nature has been relentless this year. Early in the year the ice storm impacted 103 counties in the Bluegrass state leaving thousands without the basic necessities that we often take for granted. Then in May, central and eastern Kentucky were devastated by torrential floods and tornados that left many homeless,” said Rogers. “Our emergency first responders and the Kentucky National Guard did a phenomenal job with the resources they had in rescue, recovery, and damage prevention, but it is imperative that we have a centralized, modern, and efficient headquarters to coordinate operations before, during and immediately after a disaster strikes. This investment will initiate important planning and design efforts on an expanded EOC.”

The $500,000 directed towards the Kentucky Division of Emergency Management will be used to assist with the planning and design of a 7,126 square foot addition to the existing facility which was constructed in 1975. Currently, the emergency operations staff is scattered across Frankfort in three different locations and during a disaster, FEMA and other local, state, and federal partner agencies lack adequate space to properly organize a coordinated government response. The expanded facility will serve as Kentucky’s primary in-state operations response center for coordination during an emergency.

Through his role as a senior member of the Appropriations Committee, Rogers supports important initiatives for the Fifth Congressional District.