State's emergency management could lose $2-million grant

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) -- Oklahoma is at risk of losing a nearly $2-million federal grant if legislators fail to fund a project to renovate the state's emergency operations center.<br/><br/>That's

Monday, April 18th 2005, 5:41 am

By: News On 6

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) -- Oklahoma is at risk of losing a nearly $2-million federal grant if legislators fail to fund a project to renovate the state's emergency operations center.

That's the message from Oklahoma Emergency Management Director Albert Ashwood.

Ashwood says the agency has been awarded a $1.9-million US Homeland Security Grant. But to receive it, he says the state needs to come up with more than $650,000.

He says he's asked legislators to appropriate the money this session, but no action has been taken.

The money would be used to renovate the underground facility the agency uses for office space. The center -- located 20 feet below the ground in the state Capitol complex -- was first occupied in 1963.