FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: July 25, 2008
CONTACT: Matt Mackowiak
Sen. Hutchison Announces $123 Million in DHS Preparedness Grants
Includes Major Funding for Austin, Dallas, Houston, San Antonio, El Paso and other Texas Cities
WASHINGTON -- U.S. Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-TX), Texas’ senior Senator, today announced that the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has awarded a total of $123,012,373 in preparedness grants to the state of Texas and local Texas communities. The funding will help bolster state and local efforts to improve readiness and response and recovery capabilities for natural and man-made emergencies.
“In the wake of Hurricane Dolly and its impact on Texas’ border communities, we are reminded that preparedness is critical to enduring and recovering from disasters,” said Sen. Hutchison. “These Homeland Security grants will improve safety by helping ensure that our communities are equipped to prepare for, and respond to, emergencies.”
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), under DHS, allocated $65,440,000 in State Homeland Security Program funding for the state of Texas. This grant will enhance statewide and local capabilities through strategic planning, equipment, and training and exercise activities. DHS requires 25 percent of this funding to support law enforcement anti-terrorism efforts.
The state of Texas will also been awarded a $13,040,000 Operation Stonegarden Grant, which will support security operations and law enforcement activities in areas along the border that are considered to be at high risk for terrorist attack. The funding is designed to coordinate efforts between local, state, and Federal law enforcement agencies to deal with potential border incursions.
Under the Metropolitan Medical Response System, Texas will receive a total of $4,175,873 to be divided among 13 communities and regions across the state. With these grants, jurisdictions will be better prepared to react to a mass casualty incident, including natural disaster, terrorist attack, or large-scale population exposure to hazardous materials.
Urban Area Security Initiative grants totaling $34,365,500 for Texas, will provide funding to high-threat, high-density urban communities in Texas. With these grants, Austin, El Paso, San Antonio, and the Dallas-Fort Worth metropolitan area will be able to build enhanced anti-terrorism capabilities, including: prevention, security, response, and recovery. The City of Houston will also receive a $6 million Regional Catastrophic Preparedness grant. This grant is awarded to major metropolitan regions to develop focused catastrophe response plans.
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