MASON CITY – The Mason City Police Department is looking to obtain grant funding from the Prairie Meadows Community Betterment Grant to install Global Positioning System (GPS) kits on squad cars.
The GPS kits would would allow police vehicles access to the emergency vehicle traffic pre-emption system that funding has already been secured for through an Assistance to Firefighters grant that the Mason City Fire Department applied for earlier.
The system, when fully installed, will reduce response times and minimize the potential for death and serious injury as emergency responders travel throughout the city.
$45,500 has already been budgeted for this project, according to a City Hall memo, but the grant would be worth $20,000 if approved.
The Mason City Council will vote Tuesday night on whether to apply for the grant.
