This Funding Will Allow for Purchase of New Bi-Directional Amplifier System to Improve Emergency Radio Coverage in Madison County Schools & Keep Students Safe

WASHINGTON, D.C. — President Biden on Saturday signed into law U.S. Representative Abigail Spanberger’s legislation that will provide $450,000 for the Madison County Sheriff’s Office to purchase new equipment to provide reliable emergency radio coverage at Madison County Public Schools.

This investment — which Spanberger secured as part of the U.S. House and U.S. Senate-passed fiscal year (FY)2024 appropriations package — will allow for the purchase of a new bi-directional amplifier system to install inside Madison County’s four public schools for use by law enforcement and first responders. This investment will provide full coverage inside the school buildings, eliminating signal dead zones and enabling communication that may otherwise be unavailable due to interferences with radio coverage. This project will also improve communication between the Madison County Sheriff’s Office and the emergency dispatch center to keep students, faculty, deputies, and other first responders safe in an emergency situation.

“Madison County is extremely grateful to be receiving an award of $450,000 through congressional appropriations. This funding will significantly enhance public safety within our school system and offer added support for our first responders while operating in the schools,” said Jonathon Weakley, County Administrator & Clerk of the Board, Madison County Board of Supervisors. “Public safety continues to be one of our biggest priorities and this award enhances our ability to provide for the safety of our school aged children and first responders alike. We would like to thank U.S. Representative Spanberger for her dedication to the enhancement of public safety for Madison County.”

“I’m proud to deliver this funding to address a demonstrated need in the community, and I’m grateful to the Madison County Sheriff’s Office and county officials who worked with our office for their clear commitment to improving public safety. This new funding will bring peace of mind to local law enforcement officers, emergency responders, faculty at Madison County Public Schools, and students in the classroom,” said Spanberger. “Once installed, this new radio system will help deputies and first responders better serve all residents of Madison County and stay safe in the event of an emergency — and help parents feel more confident that their kids are safe at school.”

BACKGROUND

For FY2024, the U.S. House of Representatives allowed for specific Community Project Funding requests — as it did in FY2023. Spanberger worked directly with community leaders in localities across Virginia’s Seventh District to gather community-focused requests for her submissions. Click here for the full list of her submissions.

The Community Project Funding process was created to ensure that Members of Congress — in concert with the communities they represent — may submit direct applications for federal funding to support locally planned projects as part of the yearly appropriations process.

To be eligible, projects must be sponsored by local or state government entities or non-profit organizations and must be projects that would otherwise meet the qualifications to apply for federal grant funding. The purpose of Community Project Funding is to ensure direct, local engagement as part of the federal appropriations process. In line with this goal, funding applications needed to demonstrate significant local support for the projects.

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