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FEMA Awards Nearly $145,000 To The U.S. Virgin Islands
For Emergency Preparedness

Release No.: R2-12-04
Release Date: December 12, 2002

New York, NY - Joe M. Allbaugh, director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), today announced FEMA will grant nearly $145,000 to the Virgin Islands for responders and emergency management to become better prepared to respond to acts of terrorism and other emergencies and disasters. The funds are being provided through the fiscal year 2002 supplemental appropriation as part of President Bush's First Responder Initiative.

"This grant will give the Virgin Islands a down payment on plans to modernize and strengthen preparedness through all the U.S. Virgin Islands," Allbaugh said. "This is critical to supporting first responders and preparing the Virgin Islands for all kinds of disasters."

Of the nearly $145,000 thousand awarded to the Virgin Islands, $37,579 will be provided for updating plans and procedures to respond to all hazards, with a focus on weapons of mass destruction. The updated plans will help address a common incident command system, mutual aid agreements, equipment and training standards, interoperability protocols, critical infrastructure protection, and continuity of operations for government. The funds will assist government to develop comprehensive plans, linked through mutual aid agreements, outlining the specific roles for all first responders (fire service, law enforcement, emergency medical service, public works, etc.) in responding to terrorist incidents and other disasters.

"I applaud President Bush's strong support and dedication to the First Responder Initiative Program," Allbaugh said. "We can never thank first responders enough for the work they do and the lives they save, but giving them financial support and additional resources is a great place to start."

FEMA also will provide $50,000 to assess the functionality of emergency operations centers and more than $57,235 to the Virgin Islands to support the growth of Citizen Corps activities. The Citizen Corps grant funds will support the formation of Citizen Corps Councils and the expansion of FEMA's Community Emergency Response Teams (CERT) program, which trains individuals in emergency response skills.