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FEMA Awards More Than $12 million in Grants for State and Local Emergency Preparedness in Region III States

Release No.: R-3-NR-03005
Release Date: December 16, 2002

Washington, DC -- Joe M. Allbaugh, director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), announced that FEMA will grant a total of $12,161,105 to the District of Columbia, Delaware, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia and West Virginia for state and local responders and emergency management to become better prepared to respond to acts of terrorism and other emergencies and disasters.

The amounts for FEMA Region III are: Delaware, state and local all-hazards planning, $275,464; Citizen Corps, $36,611; Community Emergency Response Team (CERT), $155,597. District of Columbia, state and local planning, $197,844; Citizen Corps, $34,748; CERT, $147,680. Maryland, state and local planning, $1,859,744; Citizen Corps, $74,634; CERT, $317,194. Pennsylvania, state and local planning, $4,251,217; Citizen Corps, $132,029; CERT, $561,124. Virginia, state and local planning, $2,486,876; Citizen Corps, $89,685; CERT, $381,161. West Virginia, state and local planning, $623,443; Citizen Corps, $44,963; CERT $191,091. The states are required to pass along 75 percent of the funds for local efforts.

Each state and the District of Columbia also will receive $50,000 for Phase I of their Emergency Operations Center assessments.

"These grants will give the states and its local communities a down payment on plans to modernize and strengthen preparedness statewide," Allbaugh said. "This is critical to supporting first responders and preparing the states for all kinds of disasters."

The grants will be used for updating state and local plans and procedures to respond to all hazards, with a focus on weapons of mass destruction. The updated plans will help establish a common incident command system, mutual aid agreements, resource typing and standards, interoperability protocols, critical infrastructure protection and continuity of operations for state and local governments.

Administered by FEMA's Office of National Preparedness, at least 75 percent of the grant amount is required to go to local governments. The funds will assist local governments in developing comprehensive plans, linking through mutual aid agreements, outlining specific roles for firefighters, law enforcement, emergency medical service and public works personnel responding to terrorist incidents and other disasters.