NORMAL - Normal Fire Department got an oversized check for $100,000 to buy radios and other equipment to upgrade emergency communications, but the real money already is in the bank.

"It helps not only with firefighter safety but better protection of the public," said state Rep. Dan Brady, a Bloomington Republican who secured the state grant. "This is money they didn't have in the budget."

The money will buy radio repeaters for back-up vehicles and additional portable radios for use by the department's technical rescue team or other departments at the same scene to ensure all emergency workers can communicate, said Normal Fire Chief Jim Watson.

"The repeaters and new portable radios will allow us to go both ways when we're on fire ground," said Watson in a statement. "They will enable us to switch back and forth between the Starcom 21 radio frequencies and VHF frequencies other agencies still use to make sure we can communicate effectively with every agency we may need to here and everywhere in the state."

Laptop computers for fire command vehicles and the technical rescue truck will allow access to vital information before emergency workers arrive at a scene.

One example is a resident who fills his own ammunition rounds, said Dave Polley, president of Normal Fire Fighters Association Local 2442. With the laptops, firefighters can pull up information en route to "make sure we know there is black powder in that home."