BANGOR – A panel of municipal and emergency services officials in Penobscot County will meet Monday to review more than $275,000 in requests for federal Department of Homeland Security funding.

The review committee will meet at 6 p.m. at the Penobscot County commissioners meeting office.

The 15 requests for funding largely come from smaller communities in the county, although the county itself is seeking funds to acquire Jaws of Life extricating equipment, and the Penobscot Valley Hospital in Lincoln is asking for $22,297 for radio equipment to improve emergency communications.

Jill Bouchard, manager of emergency services at the hospital, said Friday that PVH sometimes has had trouble communicating with its ambulances 30 miles away, not to mention the 1,300 square miles the hospital’s ambulance service covers.

Having all the latest response equipment means little if hospital staff can’t tell the people where to deploy it, she said.

“If we can’t communicate, it doesn’t matter what we have for decontamination or hazmat [hazardous materials] equipment,” Bouchard said.

She has requested radio equipment that would boost the hospital signal from 45 watts to 100 watts, as well as on-vehicle equipment that would improve reception.

The Penobscot County Sheriff’s Department is asking for bullet-proof vests, a thermal-imaging camera and a specialized phone.

The requests outpace the $205,000 the county has set aside for the 2003 round of federal funding. Another $205,000 in a communications reserve fund has been earmarked for larger communication needs.

Tom Robertson, director of the Penobscot County Emergency Management Agency, said Friday the committee will review options regarding the funding of the requests.