More than $1.6 billion in final grant allocations for eight Fiscal Year 2015 Department of Homeland Security (DHS) preparedness grant programs, including the Homeland Security Grant Program, which are awarded to assist states, urban areas, tribal and territorial governments, non-profit agencies and the private sector with their preparedness efforts were announced by the department today.
The grant funding is part of DHS’s ongoing efforts to support state, local, tribal and territorial partners DHS Secretary Jeh Johnson said.
“Together with previous grant funding awarded since 2002, DHS has awarded over $40 billion to these partners,” DHS’s announcement said, adding that, “Preparedness grants strengthen our nation’s ability to prevent, protect against, mitigate, respond to and recover from terrorist attacks, major disasters, and other emergencies in support of the National Preparedness Goal and the National Preparedness System.”
The FY 2015 grants focus on the nation’s highest risk areas, including urban areas that continue to face the most significant threats. And, consistent with previous grant guidance, dedicated funding is provided for law enforcement and terrorism prevention activities throughout the nation in order to prepare for, prevent and respond to crimes and other precursors or indicators of terrorist activity.
The following are Preparedness Grant Program Allocations for Fiscal Year 2015.
Homeland Security Grant Program (HSGP) — provides more than $1 billion for states and urban areas to prevent, protect against, mitigate, respond to and recover from acts of terrorism and other threats.
State Homeland Security Program (SHSP) — provides $402 million to support the implementation of the National Preparedness System to build and strengthen preparedness capabilities at all levels.
Urban Areas Security Initiative (UASI) — provides $587 million to enhance regional preparedness and capabilities in 28 high-threat, high-density areas.
Operation Stonegarden (OPSG) — provides $55 million to enhance cooperation and coordination among local, tribal, territorial, state, and Federal law enforcement agencies to jointly enhance security along the United States land and water borders where there are ongoing Customs and Border Protection (CBP) missions.
DHS said, “Awards made to the states and urban areas for HSGP carry pass-through requirements. Pass through is defined as an obligation on the part of the State Administrative Agency (SAA) to make funds available to local units of government, combinations of local units, tribal governments or other specific groups or organizations. The SAA must obligate at least 80 percent of the funds awarded under SHSP and UASI to local or Tribal units of government.
Pursuant to the amended Homeland Security Act of 2002, DHS and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is required to ensure at least 25 percent of grant funding appropriated for HSGP and the Tribal Homeland Security Grant Program are used for law enforcement terrorism prevention activities (LETPA).
DHS/FEMA are required to ensure this requirement is met, in part, by requiring all SHSP and UASI recipients to ensure at least 25 percent of the combined HSGP funds allocated under SHSP and UASI are dedicated towards LETPA. This 25 percent can be from SHSP, UASI or both. The 25 percent LETPA allocation is in addition to the 80 percent pass-through requirement to local units of government and Tribes.
The Emergency Management Performance Grant (EMPG) Program provides more than $350 million to assist local, tribal, territorial and state governments in enhancing and sustaining all-hazards emergency management capabilities.
The Tribal Homeland Security Grant Program (THSGP) provides $10 million to eligible tribal nations to implement preparedness initiatives to also help strengthen the nation against risks associated with potential terrorist attacks and other hazards.
$13 million is available through the Nonprofit Security Grant Program (NSGP) to support target hardening and other physical security enhancements for nonprofit organizations that are at high risk of a terrorist attack and located within one of the 28 FY 2015 UASI-eligible urban areas.
$10 million is available through the Intercity Passenger Rail-Amtrak (IPR) Program to protect critical surface transportation infrastructure and the traveling public from acts of terrorism and increase the resilience of the Amtrak rail system.
Under the Transit Security Grant Program (TSGP), $87 million is available to owners and operators of transit systems to protect critical surface transportation and the traveling public from acts of terrorism and to increase the resilience of transit infrastructure.
The Intercity Bus Security Grant Program (IBSGP) provides another $3 million to assist operators of fixed-route intercity and charter bus services within high-threat urban areas to protect bus systems and the traveling public from acts of terrorism, major disasters and other emergencies.
Finally, the Port Security Grant Program (PSGP) provides $100 million to help protect critical port infrastructure from terrorism, enhance maritime domain awareness, improve port-wide maritime security risk management and maintain or reestablish maritime security mitigation protocols that support port recovery and resiliency capabilities.
For more information on DHS’s preparedness grant programs is available at www.dhs.gov and http://www.fema.gov/grants.
