Over $1 million in life saving equipment just sitting and collecting dust in Ohio County, WV Garages.

Local emergency management officials say the equipment purchased for Homeland Security should also get use for everyday disasters.

Trailers full of equipment ready for use in breaches of homeland security, the good part is the Northern Panhandle has not seen that type of disaster and all the equipment is sitting idle.

The State Emergency Management Council is looking for ways to use the equipment on a more routine basis. Marshall County Office of Emergency Management Director, Tom Hart, says he would like to see the equipment used for transportation accidents, natural disasters and the clean-up illegal drug labs.

Hart says of the last fiver years the trailers were used a handful of times.

The State of West Virginia purchased high tech equipment to respond to homeland security issues in the northern panhandle but funding could run out, according to Hart, because it will cost the state $2.5 million each year just to maintain the equipment.

The State Emergency Management Council is looking for a way to keep the equipment.

The high tech equipment in Ohio County is ready to go in case of an attack on any part of the Northern Panhandle.

Barbara Anderson, NEWS9