Westport officials, like many across the state, will need to look for a new avenue to fund homeland security equipment and training as the federal grant money has practically dried up.

The news came not long before the town suffered power outages that affected up to one-third of the homes last weekend. As of 5 p.m. today, 226 homes were still without power as Connecticut Light and Power crews continued working.

First Selectman Gordon Joseloff said town officials will now need to look for local funding to help pay for equipment and training to prepare for incidents like last weekends and emergencies.

“The money is trickling through,” he said. “The spigot is tight. This is something that will affect the whole state.”

Westport has been proactive purchasing necessary equipment in the days following the attacks on the World Trade Center, he said, and the community is fortunate to be in a position to do so.

“We’re traditionally perceived as a wealthy community, so we’re used to being ignored,” he said. “Our distance to New York City is not a factor of being wealthy, though. Our needs to implement programs so we can protect the people who live and come here are just like other community’s.”

The message that the town will be on its own to make the homeland security purchases is concerning, Joseloff said.

Police Chief Al Fiore said the federal money has helped the town’s emergency officials purchase items that were not in the budget.

The money, however, has been coming later and later, he said, as the grant funds for the last two years was just released.

“I understand that in 2006 (federal officials) are sending money to areas that have demonstrated they could be potential targets and need more money,” he said. “We’re fortunate to get what we do have.”

Fire Chief Christopher Ackley said he is sorry the grant money couldn’t have lasted longer.

“We could use more training,” he said. “Had we received another round of funding we would have used it for training.”

Ackley said grant money typically doesn’t last forever as federal and state officials realign their priorities.

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