DHS allocates $1.3b in security grants
WASHINGTON—The Department of Homeland Security has announced final allocations of more than $1.3 billion in fiscal year 2012 funding to seven of its security grant programs.
In FY 2012, DHS preparedness grants were reduced by nearly $1 billion from the FY 2011-enacted level and $1.5 billion below the President’s FY 2012 request, according to DHS.
Because of limited resources, organizations receiving funds are encouraged to utilize grant funding to maintain current capabilities through investments in training and exercises, updates to current planning and procedures, and lifecycle replacement of equipment. New capabilities that are built using homeland security grant funding must be deployable if needed to support regional and national efforts.
The largest chunk of DHS's allocation, $830 million, went to the Homeland Security Grant Program "for states and urban areas to prevent, protect against, mitigate, respond to, and recover from acts of terrorism and other threats." That amount is further broken down as follows:
-The State Homeland Security Program received $294 million to support the implementation of state homeland security strategies. Recipients included all 50 States, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. New York and California are the largest beneficiaries, receiving $55.6 million and $43.5 million respectively.
-The Urban Areas Security Initiative (UASI) received more than $490 million to enhance regional preparedness and capabilities in 31 high-threat, high-density areas. The largest beneficiary is New York City, which received $151.6 million, followed by the Los Angeles/Long Beach area, which received $61 million.
-Operation Stonegarden, a program designed to enhance cooperation and coordination among federal, state, territorial, tribal and local law enforcement agencies to jointly enhance security along U.S. borders, received more than $46 million. Texas and Arizona are the largest beneficiaries, receiving $15.7 million and $9.6 million respectively.
The Emergency Management Performance Grants Program received more than $339 million to assist state and local governments in enhancing and sustaining all-hazards emergency management capabilities. California is the largest beneficiary, receiving $26.8 million.
The Port Security Grant Program received more than $97 million to help protect critical port infrastructure from terrorism, enhance maritime domain awareness, and strengthen risk management capabilities in order to protect against improvised explosive devices and other non-conventional weapons. Ports were separated by risk level. There were seven port areas selected for Group I (most at risk), 48 port areas in Group II and 35 port areas in Group III. Group I ports received a total of $58.9 million, with the following as the largest beneficiaries:
-City of Los Angeles Harbor Department received $6.9 million
-New York City Police Department received $5.5 million
-Lower Mississippi River Port Wide Strategic Security Council received nearly $5 million
-Port of Oakland received $3.5 million
-Long Beach Container Inc. received $3.3 million
The Transit Security Grant Program received $87.5 million to help the 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 transportation infrastructure. The largest beneficiary is New York's Metropolitan Transportation Authority, with $27.8 million, followed by the Chicago Transit Authority, which received $10.1 million, and New Jersey Transit, which received $9.9 million.
The Nonprofit Security Grant Program received $10 million to support target hardening and other physical security enhancements for nonprofit organizations determined to be at high risk of a terrorist attack and located within one of the FY2012, UASI-eligible urban areas. The New York City and Chicago areas were the biggest beneficiaries, receiving $3.1 million and $1.5 million respectively.
Through the Intercity Passenger Rail Security Grant Program, Amtrak received $10 million to help protect critical surface transportation infrastructure and increase the resilience of the rail system.
The Tribal Homeland Security Grant Program received $6 million to assist eligible Native America tribes to implement emergency preparedness strategies. The San Manuel Band of Mission Indians in California is the largest beneficiary, receiving $600,000.
“Given the significant reduction in grant funding this year, we are maximizing limited grant dollars by setting clear priorities and focusing on the areas that face the greatest risk,” DHS Secretary Janet Napolitano said in a statement released last February, when the grant guidance was released. “The FY 2012 homeland security grants are focused on mitigating and responding to the evolving threats we face while beginning to transition to the new vision set forth in the president’s FY 2013 Budget focused on building and sustaining the core capabilities outlined in the National Preparedness Goal (NPG).”
The Federal Emergency Management Agency, which administers the security grant programs, proposed a new vision for homeland security grants in the FY 2013 president’s budget that focuses on building and sustaining core capabilities associated with the five mission areas within the NPG that are readily deployable and cross-jurisdictional, helping to elevate nationwide preparedness, according to DHS.
