More than $1.3 Billion Going to Grantees of Preparedness Grant Awards, DHS says
Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano recently announced the distributions for seven fiscal year 2012 Preparedness Grant programs, according to a Department of Homeland Security (DHS) news release. The grants total more than $1.3 billion and will assist states, urban areas, tribal and territorial governments, non-profit agencies and the private sector to help emergency response programs and efforts.
“The FY 2012 grants focus on the nation’s highest risk areas, including urban areas that continue to face the most significant threats,” DHS wrote in a news release. “Dedicated funding is provided for law enforcement and terrorism prevention activities throughout the country to prepare for and prevent and respond to pre-operational activity and other crimes that are precursors or indicators of terrorist activity.”
The grants were reduced in 2012 by almost $1 billion from last year’s levels. Given the decreased level of funding, DHS is encouraging grantees to maintain or update current procedures and capabilities. Grantees must make a clear link to the tenets in the National Preparedness Goal for all updates or maintenance of capabilities.
This year, the Homeland Security Grant Program will provide more than $830 million to target terrorist acts; the Emergency Management Performance Grants Program will provide more than $339 million toward all-hazards emergency management functions; the Tribal Homeland Security Grant Program will provide $6 million to tribal applicants for their efforts to target terrorist attacks; the Nonprofit Security Grant Program will give $10 million for physical security enhancements; the Intercity Passenger Rail Program will give $10 million toward the protection of transportation infrastructure; the Port Security Grant Program will give upwards of $97 million to protect critical port infrastructure from terrorism; and the Transit Security Grant Program will give more than $87 million to transit systems operators toward critical surface transportation.
“The Administration looks forward to working with Congress and stakeholders to enable all levels of government to build and sustain, in a collaborative way, the core capabilities necessary to prepare for incidents that pose the greatest risk to the security of the nation,” DHS wrote.
