What Happened?
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security announced nine grants totaling $1.6 million were awarded to nine state and local governments, as well as nonprofit organizations, community groups and private sector agencies.
Goal
The goal of the DHS preparedness grant program is to assist public and private sector recipients at the local level prevent, protect against, respond to, recover from and mitigate:
- Terrorist attacks
- Major disasters
- Other significant emergencies
The Urban Area Security Initiative grant programs, specifically, are designed to take a whole-community approach that combines resources and expertise from public agencies and private sector organizations to build and sustain a secure and resilient nation.
The nine grants were awarded to organizations in the nation’s highest risk areas, specifically urban settings that are under significant threat of attack or disaster. The urban Area Security Initiative will provide funding and support for programs to help 28 high-threat, high-density urban areas prepare for emergency situations. These designated areas are estimated to account for 85 percent of the nation’s risk of terrorist and natural disaster threats.
Specifics
The grants are provided for three years, with dedicated funding going toward law enforcement and terrorist prevention initiatives. These programs focus on preparing for, preventing and responding to criminal activities that may be indicators of potential terrorist activity.
Other funding through the grant program will be utilized to maintain and sustain current critical core capabilities for emergency response including:
- Training and exercises
- Updates to current planning and procedures
- Lifecycle replacement of equipment
The Department of Homeland Security Grant Program’s total funding can be divided into three categories:
- State Homeland Security Program: $402 million provided to states and territories to implement risk-driven, capabilities-based strategies to address capability targets
- Urban Area Security Initiative: $587 million to enhance regional preparedness and capabilities in 28 highest-risk urban areas
- Operation Stonegarden: $55 million to enhance cooperation and coordination between local, state and federal law enforcement agencies to protect land and water borders
NYC
In New York City, for example, $180 million in DHS grant funding will be used to support the purchasing and deployment of surveillance and terror-fighting equipment throughout the city. New York City officials and law enforcement agencies will use the funding to add cameras, bomb-sniffing dogs and communications infrastructure across city ranks, The New York Post reported.
Furthermore, the city will use any remaining funds to pay for additional law enforcement expenses associated with terrorist-fighting efforts such as overtime costs for police officers and the deployment of anti-terror teams at major transit hubs including airports and train stations, The New York Post reported.
In addition, the state of New York is providing the city with nearly $77 million in support of ramping up terror prevention and natural disaster mitigation efforts, The New York Post reported.
Vegas
In Las Vegas, a $3 million federal grant from DHS, coupled with $3.7 million federal grant for state-level preparedness, will be used to fuel a variety of anti-terrorism programs throughout the region. Since the DHS grant program was first launched in 2003, Las Vegas has received $72.8 million in urban security grants. The funding has allowed the city to establish the Southern Nevada Counter-Terrorism Center which acts as a hub for the Metropolitan Police Department to run regional preparedness strategies, Bloomberg News reported.
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