GILLETTE, Wyo. — Campbell County Sheriff’s Office will apply for a grant for thousands of dollars to buy a portable digital X-ray processor.
The Campbell County Board of Commissioners unanimously voted this afternoon to allow the office to apply for the Wyoming 2023 State Homeland Security grant in the amount of $34,461.60.
The ScanX Scout D5000-SB (WMDTech KIT) processor and additional imaging plates and holders would replace the current digital X-ray processor, which is still functional but more than 10 years old, according to a memo from Detention Capt. Kevin Theis. Campbell County Sheriff’s Office has received homeland security grants supporting the hazardous device unit equipment for its efforts to respond to terrorism incidents and other incidents that involve hazardous materials or suspected hazardous materials, the memo said.
“This is in support of continued operation and improvement of the Campbell County Sheriff’s Office Hazardous Device in service of Campbell County as well as surrounding counties supported by the Rural Emergency Response Team 1,” the memo said.
Theis said at the March 29 board meeting that device technicians use the system to work to identify materials in suspicious packages. It also helps expedite vehicle searches if law enforcement suspect there are drugs hidden in compartments.
The national Homeland Security office funds the Wyoming State Homeland Security grant, Theis said. The Campbell County Sheriff’s Office has probably received more than $500,000 through the grant program since 2004 for equipment purchases for the bomb squad.
He said other Wyoming bomb squads are seeking to replace robot systems, which will take more money, so he picked a lower cost item that might receive leftover funding. The county doesn’t need to match the funding.
The office’s two newest technicians were fully trained on the system at a hazardous device school in Alabama, and the computer processing system is the same as the older system’s, so staff will simply need to refamiliarize themselves with the equipment. There won’t be a learning curve.
Commissioner Butch Knutson said he believes it’s money very well spent.
“Might even be a lifesaver,” Knutson said.
