FEMA Readying $3 Billion in FY2009 Preparedness Grants
The Federal Emergency Management Agency released fiscal year 2009 application guidance for more than $3 billion available from 14 federal grant programs to boost community emergency preparedness. More than $27 billion has been provided for this purpose since 2002, the agency said.
"Several years of investment have taken us largely from capability building to performance-based planning and investment," Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff said. "This year's funding priorities are consistent with last year and reflect a mature and disciplined grants program. We are now in the position of being able to inform high-threat urban areas of their target allocations ahead of time, which will go a long way in helping their applications."
Applications for grants from several of the programs are due by Jan. 13, 2009, but applications for the Homeland Security Grant Program ($1.7 billion) must be submitted by March 20, 2009.
The other programs include the Urban Areas Security Initiative ($798.6 million), the Metropolitan Medical Response System Program ($39.8 million divided evenly among 124 jurisdictions to support regional mass casualty incident response and preparedness), the Transit Security Grant Program ($388.6 million that includes $15 million to help freight rail operations with security plans, vulnerability assessments, employee security awareness training and GPS tracking systems for railroad cars transporting toxic inhalation materials), and the Port Security Grant Program ($388.6 million).
For more information on the grant programs, visit this site.