DHS Announces Nearly $970 Million in Preparedness Grant Final Allocations

The Department of Homeland Security's (DHS) Federal Emergency Management Agency announced today final allocations for Fiscal Year (FY) 2009 Preparedness Grants for 10 federal grant programs, totaling nearly $970 million in federal funding to assist state, local and tribal governments and private industry in strengthening community preparedness.

Awards will be made on a rolling basis over the summer. From 2003 through 2009, more than $26.7 billion will have been provided to strengthen our nation's ability to prevent, protect, respond and recover from terrorist attacks, major disasters or other emergencies. Among them:

• Emergency Operations Center (EOC) Grant Program — $33 million to improve emergency management and preparedness capabilities by supporting flexible, sustainable, secure and interoperable EOCs to address identified deficiencies and needs. The grant provides funding for construction or renovation of a state, local or tribal government’s principal EOC.
  
• 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.

Further information on preparedness grant programs is available at www.dhs.gov and www.fema.gov/grants.