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| May 08, 2003 | |||
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DODD, LIEBERMAN ANNOUNCE $8.6 MILLION FOR CONNECTICUT
Grant Will Provide Additional Resources For Emergency Responder Equipment and Training |
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Washington, D.C.–The Connecticut Department of Public Safety will receive $8,625,000 for the purchase of emergency first responder equipment and costs associated with improving the state’s terrorism training capabilities, Senators Chris Dodd and Joe Lieberman announced today. The funds, awarded by the Department of Homeland Security’s Office of Domestic Preparedness, will help first responders across the state by providing them with critical resources as they are tasked with additional demands as defenders of our homeland security.
"Homeland defense should be our first priority, so it shouldn’t get second-class status when it comes to funding. Thankfully, this assistance is a step in the right direction,” said Dodd. “I intend to press both the President and Congress to provide greater resources for our homeland defenders to ensure that they have the tools they need to do a very difficult job." “Connecticut’s first responders will finally be able to start purchasing some of the equipment they need to keep the state safe, but this is just the beginning,” said Lieberman. “I will continue to make sure Connecticut’s police, firefighters, and emergency medical personnel receive the resources they need to do their jobs.” The grant will bolster resources for costs related to planning, conducting and evaluating chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear and explosive (CBRNE) terrorism exercises and establish CBRNE-related awareness training initiatives. The grant will also help fund updates to and implementation of Connecticut’s homeland security strategy through March of 2005. Dodd and Lieberman have long worked to provide Connecticut first responders with the help they need to best do their jobs safely and effectively. Dodd is also the author of the Firefighters Investment and Response Enhancement (FIRE) Act which allows the Federal Emergency Management Agency to provide funding to local departments for training and equipment and the Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) Act that would provide grants to state and local governments so that they can increase the number of firefighter personnel. Lieberman has proposed spending $10 billion for first responders in 2004 – $6.5 billion over the President’s request. Of this, $4 billion would help first responders get interoperable communications equipment. Lieberman is also a co-sponsor of the SAFER Act. In September of last year they joined Congressman John Larson to introduce legislation that would prevent the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) from taxing the compensation awarded to local volunteer firefighters and emergency medical responders for service to their communities and recently re-introduced legislation to ensure pay equity for federal law enforcement officers. |
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