— Information courtesy of Warren County Manager’s Office
Warren County Emergency Management will get more than $380,000 in state grant money to help renovate a gymnasium that will serve as the county’s central emergency shelter.
Warren County was one of 24 sites to get funding from the N.C. Department of Public Safety’s Capacity Building Competitive Grants program for emergency management agencies. The county will receive $383,500 toward improvements at the John Graham Gym, which will become the county’s central emergency shelter.
The funds from this grant will assist in the gym’s renovation to provide shelter during emergency events, such as hurricanes, ice storms, and any disasters where citizens are displaced.
“I would like to thank the NCDPS for providing these funds,” County Manager Vincent Jones said in a press release to WIZS News. “I’d also like to commend Chief (Joel) Bartholomew and our Emergency Manager, Capt. Chris Tucker, for their diligence in identifying a need and pursuing a solution that will allow us to increase our ability to recover from disasters we may face.”
Jones said the funds will provide an emergency shelter that has all the required amenities to properly provide temporary shelter to Warren County residents in a time of need.
“This project will be a game-changer for our citizens that may become displaced during a disaster. This shelter project will be one of only a few in North Carolina,” said Tucker, who also thanked Karen Solomon, emergency services senior administrative assistant, for her work on the project.
The John Graham gym is located at113 Wilcox Street, Warrenton, NC, 27589. For more information about this grant, contact christucker@warrencountync.gov