Government
Meridian Township "well ahead of the curve" in preparing for violent emergencies
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By Ally Hamzey
The Meridian Times Staff Reporter
Over one month after six people were killed and two others injured in a series of random shootings taken place in Kalamazoo County, Meridian Township residents and officials still face the question of how to prepare for potential violent events on the homefront. Meridian Township Fire Chief Fred Cowper is confident of Meridian Township’s advanced planning for violent emergency situations. “You aren’t going to find many townships with the equipment or the training that we have,” Cowper said. “We are well ahead of the curve.”
Cowper explains the Meridian Township Police Department and the Meridian Township Fire Department were awarded over $1,000,000 by the state of Michigan through a grant. Of that, $240,000 of was given to the departments to train for such emergencies, according to Cowper.