More Than $3 Billion in Preparedness Grants Available From DHS

November 10, 2008 – The Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has released Fiscal Year 2009 application guidance for 14 federal grant programs totaling more than $3 billion to assist state and local governments in strengthening community preparedness. More than $27 billion has been provided since 2002 to fund the nation’s ability to prevent, protect and respond and recover from terrorist attacks, major disasters and other emergencies.

Congress restored more than $1 billion in cuts to these vital programs under President Bush’s proposed FY 2009 budget. In addition, the IAFF played a key part in shifting the Homeland Security funds to preparedness and prevention.

In recognition of the current economic environment, state and local governments will finally have more flexibility to use 2009 grant program funds to pay for overtime, new employees and other personnel costs.

For the first time, the FY 2009 grant funds include targeted allocations for the Homeland Security Grant Program (HSGP), including $861.3 million for the State Homeland Security Program (SHSP) to strengthen and build state, territorial and local preparedness capabilities through planning, equipment, training and exercise activities and $798.6 million for the Urban Areas Security Initiative (UASI) to enhance regional preparedness by strengthening capabilities in 62 high-threat, high-density urban areas across the country.

The Urban Areas Security Initiative is awarded according to a risk assessment methodology that assesses threat, vulnerability and consequence.

The IAFF encourages its affiliates to work with their fire departments to apply for available funds. Applications for the HSGP programs are due no later than March 20, 2009. Click here for more information on eligibility and application process.

Other allocations under HSGP are the Metropolitan Medical Response System Program ($39.8 million) to enhance and sustain comprehensive regional mass casualty incident response and preparedness capabilities and the Citizen Corps Program ($14.6 million) for states and territories to bring community and government leaders together to engage citizens in community preparedness, response and recovery activities.

Other grant program allocations for FY 2009 are:

• State Homeland Security Program Tribal (SHSP Tribal) – approximately $1.7 million will be provided to tribal applicants to build preparedness and response capabilities, and to implement homeland security plans. This program provides supplemental funding directly to eligible tribes, pursuant to the Implementing Recommendations of the 9/11 Act of 2007.

• Nonprofit Security Grant Program (NSGP) – $15 million to support target-hardening activities at nonprofit organizations at high risk of a terrorist attack.

• Operation Stonegarden (OPSG) – $60 million to states to enhance law enforcement and border security operations. States bordering Canada (including Alaska), southern states bordering Mexico, and states and territories with international water borders are eligible for funding under FY 2009 OPSG. Previous grants were restricted to states located on a land border.

• Transit Security Grant Program (TSGP) – $388.6 million to protect critical transit infrastructure from terrorism, including:
-Freight Rail Security Grant Program (FRSGP) – $15 million to target resources for security plans, vulnerability assessments, employee security awareness training and GPS tracking systems for railroad cars transporting toxic inhalation materials.
-Intercity Passenger Rail (Amtrak) – $25 million for Amtrak to protect critical surface transportation infrastructure and the traveling public from acts of terrorism, major disasters and other emergencies within the Amtrak rail system.

• Port Security Grant Program (PSGP) – $388.6 million to protect critical port infrastructure from terrorism, enhance maritime domain awareness and risk management capabilities to protect against improvised explosive devices and other non-conventional weapons; to conduct training and exercises; and support implementation of the Transportation Worker Identification Credential.

• Buffer Zone Protection Program (BZPP) – $48.6 million to increase preparedness capabilities of jurisdictions responsible for safeguarding critical infrastructure sites and key resource assets, such as chemical facilities and nuclear power plants, through planning and equipment acquisition.

• Intercity Bus Security Grant Program (IBSGP) – $11.7 million to assist operators of fixed-route intercity and charter bus services to support security plans, facility security upgrades, and vehicle and driver protection.

• Trucking Security Program (TSP) – $7.8 million for eligible applicants to implement security improvement measures and policies that focus on the purchase, installation or enhancement of equipment and systems related to tractor and trailer tracking systems; to help develop a system for DHS to monitor, collect and analyze tracking information; and to develop plans to improve the transport and distribution of supplies and commodities during catastrophic events.

• Emergency Management Performance Grants (EMPG) – $306 million to assist state and local governments in enhancing and sustaining all-hazards emergency management capabilities.

• Interoperable Emergency Communications Grant Program (IECGP) – $48.6 million for planning, training, exercises and equipment to states, territories, local and tribal governments to carry out initiatives identified in Statewide Communication Interoperability Plans, and improve interoperable emergency communications for responding to natural disasters and acts of terrorism.

• Regional Catastrophic Preparedness Grant Program (RCPGP) – $34 million to enhance catastrophic incident preparedness in selected high-risk, high-consequence urban areas and to support technical assistance funding in FY 2009. RCPGP supports coordination of regional all-hazards planning for catastrophic events, including the development of plans, protocols, and procedures.

TSGP, PSGP, BZPP, IBSGP, and TSP applications are due no later than January 13, 2009. Other program application deadlines are listed in the program guidance.

For more information on preparedness grant programs, visit www.dhs.gov and www.fema.gov/grants.