Pearl River County Awarded $750,000 Federal Grant for Emergency Services & Emergency Operations Center

Funds Will Help Purchase Emergency Equipment and Vehicles

POPLARVILLE, MS, UNITED STATES, November 2, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ — Pearl River County will soon be able to upgrade its emergency services capabilities after receiving $750,000 in federal grant funding allocated for the county’s Emergency Services and Emergency Operations Center (EOC). The grant funding was secured with support from U.S. Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith’s office through the U.S. Department of Justice’s Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) program and will be used to purchase new equipment and emergency vehicles for the county.

The COPS grant funding will be combined with additional project funding from local, state, and federal sources to create a $3.9 million total EOC and equipment project budget.

“It’s vital that our local communities have the funding they need to respond quickly and effectively to emergency situations,” said U.S. Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith. “This DOJ funding will help Pearl River County purchase the state-of-the-art equipment needed to better protect citizens for years to come.”

The funding will support the county’s Multipurpose and Emergency Operations Center project, a multi-phase effort that includes a new EOC, convention center space, and a future multipurpose arena. Additionally, the county plans to purchase its own Emergency Cascade System, dispatch equipment, and multiple new enhanced response vehicles. An Emergency Cascade System is a rapid-response equipment infrastructure that ensures emergency personnel have a continuous, uninterrupted supply of breathing air or medical-grade oxygen during critical incidents.

“Right now, Pearl River County’s north end fire departments, which covers over 50% of the county, rely on our partners’ cascade systems. This funding allows us to have our own system, new vehicles, and an updated dispatch system,” said John Klingenberger, Fire Coordinator and Director of Fire Services for the Pearl River County Office of Emergency Services. “If there’s ever a massive natural disaster, we’ll have all the tools and dispatch systems we need to operate quickly and effectively.”

“We’re incredibly grateful for the support from U.S. Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith,” said Pearl River County Administrator Adrain Lumpkin. “Thanks to this funding and the help from her, U.S. Sen. Roger Wicker, and U.S. Rep. Mike Ezell, Pearl River County will be ready when disaster strikes.”

Pearl River County is currently finalizing construction plans for the new EOC and Fire Station and will begin accepting construction bids in early 2027, with construction to begin shortly after.

For more information about Pearl River County, visit pearlrivercounty.net. Learn more about the U.S. Department of Justice grant programs at www.justice.gov/grants.

Lindsay Ward
Pearl River County
lward@pearlrivercounty.net

Media gallery