Grantee Spotlight: Supporting Emergency Management
Over the past decade, Ball Brothers Foundation has awarded over 60 “Emergency Management” grants totaling $1.1 million. This initiative was originally designed to support community preparedness, professional development for public safety personnel, and specialized equipment allowing Muncie & Delaware County to stand out as a leader in safety and preparedness.
*Please note that this does not include funding for Ball Brothers Foundation’s COVID response which included support for the purchase of PPE, equipment to roll out telehealth services, the establishment of testing sites and vaccine clinics, and support for marketing and public health communications.
Emergency Management Grant Examples from 2013-2023:
American Red Cross: Numerous grants have been awarded to recruit, train, and support Hoosier disaster volunteers to travel to natural disaster sites across the country. Additionally, $75,000 was awarded to the Red Cross for the purchase of an Emergency Response Vehicle stationed in Delaware County but deployed nationally as needed.
Delaware County Prosecutor’s Office/Muncie Police Dept/BSU Police Dept/Delaware County Sheriff: Rapid and general grants were awarded to purchase equipment and to support training in local cybercrime investigation. Funding also helped Delaware County to be selected to host one of Indiana’s new “High Tech Crime Unit” labs.
Law Enforcement Training: Rapid Grants have been awarded to bring together Muncie Police Department, BSU Police, and other departments to manage the ‘high stress, high stakes’ demands of contemporary policing with integrity.
Sonar and Thermal Monocular Units: $60,000 was awarded to the Indiana Department of Natural Resources for sonar to use in underwater detection of missing persons, vehicles, sunken vessels, and evidentiary items across 13 counties, including Delaware County. Hand-held thermal units also allow for quick responses to lost, missing, or fleeing persons.
Mobile Dispatch Vehicle: A grant of $75,000 aided in the purchase of a vehicle to allow 911 dispatchers to be on-site at large incidents.
Drones: $45,600 helped launch a Purdue program that trains public safety officials from across the region/state to utilize drones. Two Rapid Grants allowed Delaware County to purchase drones for local use in missing persons cases, accident reconstruction, etc.
Emergency Services Training Center: $100,000 helped to support the build-out of a 5-acre complex near New Castle that allows emergency service personnel to run controlled and realistic training simulations, including confined space rescues.
Off-Road Ambulance: A $65,000 grant funded the purchase of an all-terrain “mini-ambulance” used for rescues in farm fields, along the Cardinal Greenway, at crowded events, and more.
Chemical ID Wand: This item was purchased with an $83,600 grant to help hazmat and other emergency response personnel quickly identify chemicals, explosives, and hazardous materials in seconds rather than waiting on state lab testing.
Misc Equipment for Town Departments: This funding—in the form of Rapid Grants of $5000 or less—has included active shooter vests for police, radar units for police vehicles, fire turnout gear, radios for motorcycle communications, AEDs, a portable incinerator for drugs, thermal imaging cameras, body cameras, hoses and nozzles, emergency breathing air for downed firefighters, computer/software upgrades, respiratory equipment, and K9 unit supports, among others.