WASHINGTON – Senator Chuck Grassley announced today that the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) will be releasing federal grant dollars totaling $11,673,927 to Iowa in 2009. The grants will be awarded by the state.
“These funds will help provide much needed federal assistance to state and local governments in support of their mission to respond to emergencies and keep Iowans safe,” Grassley said.
FEMA releases the funds directly to the state. State and local agencies interested in applying for grants need to coordinate through the state Homeland Security office. Iowa will receive funding through the various programs listed below.
v $600,000 through the Buffer Zone Protection Program to help 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.
v $4,087,148 through the Emergency Management Performance Grant Program to help state and local governments enhance and sustain all-hazards emergency management capabilities.
v Funding through the Homeland Security Grant Program is available to Iowa through 3 different parts of the grant program:
o $194,673 through the Citizen Corps Program to help states and territories bring community and government leaders together to engage citizens in community preparedness, response and recovery activities.
o $321,221 to the Des Moines area through the Metropolitan Medical Response System to help enhance and sustain comprehensive regional mass casualty incident response and preparedness capabilities.
o $6,060,000 through the State Homeland Security Program to help strengthen and build state, territorial and local preparedness capabilities through planning, equipment, training and exercise activities. At least $1,515,000 of that funding to be used for law enforcement terrorism prevention activities.
v $410,885 through the Interoperable Emergency Communications Grant Program to help with 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.