Enclosure 3A - Project Summary Form
NATIONAL FIRE PLAN COMMUNITY ASSISTANCE AND WILDLAND URBAN INTERFACE PROJECTS
Application for Wildland Urban Interface Fuels / Education and
Prevention / Community Planning for Fire Protection Projects
Applicant
Applicant/Organization:
Curry County
Phone:
FAX:
Email:
(541) 247-3296
(541) 247-2718
cooks@co.curry.or.us
Address (Street or P. O. Box, City, State, Zip):
P.O. Box 746
Gold Beach, Oregon 97444
Project Coordinator
Project Coordinator (Name and Title):
Michael Murphy, Emergency Services Coordinator
Organization/Jurisdiction:
Curry County
Phone:
FAX:
Email:
(541) 247-3208
(541) 247-2705
MurphyM@co.curry.or.us
Project Information
Project Title:
Communication Enhancement
Project Start:
Project End:
March 1, 2002
September 1, 2003
Federal Funding Request:
Total Project Funding:
$129,000.00
$844,000.00 ****
Are you submitting multiple projects? If so, please explain and prioritize:
no
Brief Project Description:
**** estimate, &&& Phase 1 completed , phase 2-- 3/1/02 through 9/1/03
This project is to enhance the ability to communicate with emergency response agencies within the
county. This radio system is in need of replacement. The present system does not work well in the
wildland areas of eastern Curry County, which comprise the majority of the county. Most of this
wildland is under federal control, (over 65% of Curry County is federal land). Completion of this
project will allow emergency response agencies, (fire departments, law enforcement, search and
rescue) to communicate with each other, and with dispatch. This will allow more efficient, timely
response to emergency conditions. When responders arrive on scene, this project will allow those
responders to summon additional assistance when needed, in a timely fashion.
Project Location:
County:
Congressional District:
Curry County
Curry
4th
Project Type: Check appropriate project type. More than one type may be checked. If only Box (4) is checked, use Enclosure 4.
(1)
(2)
Wildland Urban Interface Fuels Project
Wildland Urban Interface Education and Prevention Project
(3)
(4)
Community Planning for Fire Protection Project
Fuels Utilization and Marketing Project
If the applicant is an unincorporated area, define the geographic area being represented:
This project involves all of Curry County, but this portion for which funding is requested is mostly
eastern Curry County.
Enclosure 3B (Page 1 of 3) - Project Narrative Description
Applications for funding must include a narrative response that describes the proposal. Please do not submit responses longer than one page,
single space, 12-pitch font.
Describe project including, but not limited to:
 project location
Address these
 project implementation
items as
 anticipated outcomes
applicable:
 measures and reporting
 partners





project income
project time frames
specify types of activities and equipment used
amount or extent of actions (acres, number of homes, etc)
environmental, cultural and historical resource requirements
Project location: All of Curry County, but the portion for which this funding request applies will
serve the Agness area of Eastern Curry County.
Project Implementation: This project is part of a larger communications upgrade project. Curry County has
funded, and received, a consultant's report on the present system, and the requirements for the new system.
Anticipated outcomes: This funding will allow the completion of the communications system. The present
system is outdated, and no longer supported by the manufacturer. It also has many functional limitations,
which will be eliminated or reduced by the new system. For example, we now have no reliable
communications with the Agness community of eastern Curry County. The new system will provide
enhanced ability to communicate with that community, and its associated emergency responders. If a
situation develops (i.e. wildland fire) which exceeds the capabilities of the local resources, it is imperative
that the local responders have adequate communications to summon additional assistance. There is a
considerable travel time to get resources to that area. The need for reliable communication cannot be
overstated. This will allow dispatch to get that assistance en route much sooner than the present system.
Measures and reporting: This is a straight forward communications system project. There will be
engineering, and installation/testing phases.
Partners: Every response agency in Curry County has a stake in this project. All local emergency responders
are in support of this upgrade.
Project income: None
Project time frames: The project started with the consultant's report. Curry County is ready to issue RFP's
for the engineering and construction of the system as outlined in the report. Curry County funded the
consultant's report with local funds. There was a great deal of collaboration during the consultant's study of
the existing system.
Activities and equipment used: Engineering and construction of the communications system. The system
presently consists of the Base at the North/Central county 911 dispatch center in Gold Beach, and three
mountaintop repeater sites. These mountaintop sites are located at Grizzly Mountain (east of Gold Beach),
Stone Butte (in the north end of the county, near Langlois), and Bosley Butte, (east of Brookings). The
communication signal is sent from the Dispatch center to Grizzly Mountain by microwave radio. The signal
is fed to VHF repeaters on Grizzly Mountain, or travels north or south (depending upon need-selected by
dispatch) to one of the other mountaintops. When the signal reaches the other mountaintops, it is then fed to
VHF radio repeaters and broadcast to the intended recipients. Any reply is just the reverse of this process.
At the present time, coverage to the east (especially toward Agness) is extremely limited. The original
system was designed over 25 years ago, and directed the focus toward the more populated areas. Resource
areas' needs were not considered in the original design. The new system proposes repeaters in the
Wedderburn area, with coverage directed up-river to Agness. Other radio systems work using this type of
system, and our engineering consultant recommends this approach to solve the communication deficiencies in
the Agness area.
Amount and extent of actions: Construction, or re-construction of 5 radio sites, covering all of Curry County.
Population to be served is approx. 21,500. The Agness community itself is approx. 250 winter residents, with
summer tourism population swelling those numbers manyfold.
Environmental, cultural, historical resource requirements: Very little. The radio sites are located on
mountaintop parcels. Each site is very compact.
Response:
Enclosure 3B (Page 2 of 3) - Project Evaluation Criteria
Applications for funding must include narrative responses that address the following four criteria. Within each criterion, subcriteria are listed in descending order of importance. Limit your responses to the areas provided.
1. Reducing Fire Risk. (40 points))
A. Describe how the proposal promotes reduction of risk in high hazard areas or communities.
B. Describe how the proposed project benefits resources on federal land or adjacent non-federal land, or how it protects the safety
of communities.
C. To what extent does the project implement or create a cooperative fuels treatment plan or community fire strategy (include
evidence of the plan if it already exists)?
D. Explain to what extent the affected community or proponent has been involved or plans to involve the affected community in a
qualified fuels education program (e.g., FIREWISE).
E. Explain how the proposal (a) leads to, enhances or restores a local fire-adapted ecosystem, and/or (b) mitigates or leads to the
mitigation of hazardous fuel conditions.
F. How will the proposed treatments be maintained over time?
Response: A.
This communication project reduces risk by facilitating rapid, effective response to incidents
occuring in these high hazard areas. There is a fire department in Agness. Their initial attack efforts help to
keep a small incident from growing into a large incident, or even a conflagration. Effective dispatch of this
agency, and supplementing this agency when needed, greatly reduces the risk of an incident becoming
uncontrollable. The entire project will allow the movement of resources necessary to control the incident, to
the appropriate location, smoothly, and efficiently.
B. This project will allow us to protect the resources on the federal lands that surround the community of
Agness, as well as to respond to other areas in, or adjacent to, federal land. Mutual aid agreements cover the
entire county, utilizing the "closest forces" concept. Any agency could end up performing initial attack
operations on federal land. This communications project enhances that ability.
C. This project allows the community of Agness to help protect itself, and the surrounding federal and nonfederal lands. The strategy of "find it small, keep it small" definitely applies here.
D. Curry County, through its Emergency Services Department intends to involve the Agness community in
the FireWise program. The Emergency Services Coordinator attended and participated in a workshop called
"fire free" at the end of Nov. 2001.
E, F do not apply.
2. Increasing local capacity. (30 points)
A. How would the proposal improve or lead to the improvement of the local economy in terms of jobs and sustainable economic
activity? How many jobs are expected to be created or retained and for how long (please distinguish between essentially yearround and seasonal jobs)?
B. To what extent will this project be offered to serve as a model for other communities?
C. Will biomass or forest fuels be utilized; if so, in what manner and how much?
A. This project will have value to the local economy due to the fact that emergency services will
be provided on a more timely basis. This communication upgrade will allow efficient emergency response.
It is difficult to locate residents, and businesses, in areas with poor emergency response capabilities.
Persons/businesses look at infrastructure before locating. They often look at the capability of response
agencies before deciding where to start a business, or build a home. This upgrade will make it much easier to
justify locating in this rural area.
B. This communications project will show what can be done to provide communications to small
communities located far from main population centers. Lessons learned from this project will be available to
everyone, so they don't have to "reinvent the wheel."
C. Forest fuels will not be utilized.
Response:
Enclosure 3B (Page 3 of 3) - Project Evaluation Criteria
3. Increasing interagency and intergovernmental coordination. (15 Points)
A. Describe how this project implements a local intergovernmental strategy plan, or creates such a plan. Describe the plan if it
already exists.
B. Explain the level of cooperation, coordination or strategic planning among federal, state, tribal, local government and
community organizations. List the cooperators.
Response: A.
This project helps to implement existing mutual aid agreements. We have had these agreements
in place for many years. They work very well when the needs are known and have been communicated to
those who will respond under the agreements. All fire services in Curry County are tied together by a mutual
aid agreement, which also includes Del Norte County, California as well. The Coos Forest Protective
Association is signatory to that agreement. There is a mutual aid agreement between Coos Forest Protective
Association, and the US Forest Service as well. BLM contracts with Coos Forest Protective Assn. for
protection of their lands from wildland fire, and they have a good, close working relationship. These
agreements essentially tie all emergency fire agencies together. Any agency in Curry County could respond
to a fire on federal land, or assist others in doing so.
B. As stated above, the level of cooperation between federal, state, and local governments could not be
better. We all have an excellent working relationship, and we all work together efficiently to get the job
accomplished in an efficient and timely manner. We have agreements with local relief agencies who work
with all other responders to meet the human needs of any disaster situations, as well as meeting the needs of
response personnel. This cooperation will be enhanced by our ability to communicate effectively. Needs will
be communicated to surrounding communities, and response personnel will be able to be sent to assist as
needed.
4. Expanding Community Participation. (15 Points)
A. To what extent have interested people and communities been provided an opportunity to become informed and involved in this
proposal?
B. Describe the extent of local support for the project, including any cost-sharing arrangements.
C. What are the environmental, social and educational benefits of the project?
A. This project has been planned for several years. Much information has been published about the
needs, and the needs have been communicated to the response agencies through meetings with them. The
consultant who issued the study report worked with all response agencies when formulating the proper
approach to solve the communication problem. There has been a concerted effort made to publish this
information for the general public, so they can understand the needs, and how the system should work.
B. There is a tremendous amount of local support for the project. There is no opposition to this project. All
response agencies are behind the project, as well as the social service agencies, and local governments as
well. We are asking for financial assistance under this program for the repeater system to serve the
community of Agness. The rest of the cost of the project will be from other funds. Curry County has funded
the consultant's report from local funds. This has been an ongoing process to secure necessary funding to
move forward.
C. Environmental benefits include extinguishing fires before resource damage becomes catastrophic.
Wildfires burning out of control destroy vast tracts of timber and other vegatation, resulting in heavy siltation
of salmon habitat, and the destruction of necessary spawning areas (gravel bars, which get choked by mud
and silt). We are all well aware of the damage caused by wildfire. Having adequate communications makes
it possible to "find it small, keep is small."
Response:
Enclosure 3C - Project Work Form
Tasks
Time Frame
Responsible Party
Engineering study of existing system, and
recommendations for addressing the concerns
PHASE 1--COMPLETED (End of 2000,
beginning of 2001)
Curry County
Securing funding, and issuing RFP for final
design and installation of system.
PHASE 2--Spring/Summer 2002
Curry County
Selection of equipment vendor, and
construction contractors to complete the
project.
Summer/Fall 2002
Curry County
Final completion and testing of system
Spring/Summer 2003
Selected equipment vendor.
Enclosure 3D Project Budget
Cost Category
Description
Federal
Agency
Applicant
Partner 1
Partner 2
Total
$0.00
$0.00
$0.00
$0.00
$0.00
$0.00
$0.00
$0.00
$0.00
$0.00
$0.00
$0.00
$0.00
$0.00
$0.00
$0.00
$844,000.00
$0.00
$0.00
$844,000.00
$0.00
$0.00
$0.00
$0.00
$0.00
$0.00
$0.00
$0.00
$0.00
$0.00
Personnel
Subtotal
$0.00
$0.00
$0.00
Fringe Benefits
Subtotal
$0.00
$0.00
$0.00
Travel
Subtotal
$0.00
$0.00
Equipment
and infrastructure (towers,
etc. for radio system).
Subtotal
$129,000.00
$715,000.00
$129,000.00
$715,000.00
$0.00
$0.00
Supplies
Subtotal
$0.00
$0.00
$0.00
Contractual
Subtotal
$0.00
$0.00
$0.00
Other
Subtotal
$0.00
$0.00
$0.00
$0.00
$0.00
$0.00
$0.00
$0.00
Total Costs
$129,000.00
$715,000.00
$0.00
$0.00
$844,000.00
Project (Program) Income1
(using deductive alternative)
$0.00
0
1
$0.00
Program income is the gross revenue generated by a grant or cooperative agreement supported activity during the life of
the grant. Program income can be made by recipients from fees charged for conference or workshop attendance, from rental
fees earned from renting out real property or equipment acquired with grant or cooperative agreement funds, or from the sale
of commodities or items developed under the grant or cooperative agreement. The use of Program Income during the
project period may require prior approval by the granting agency.