DHS publishes details of Fiscal Year 2008 Preparedness Grants

In Fiscal Year 2008, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) will award more than $3 billion in grants to states, territories, urban areas, and transportation authorities under 14 programs to bolster national preparedness capabilities and protect critical infrastructure. Fiscal year 2008 grant programs provide $376.3 million over last year to enhance the US's ability to prevent, protect against, respond to and recover from terrorist attacks, major disasters and other emergencies. This includes the Department's two largest grant programs: the Homeland Security Grant Program (HSGP) totaling $1.69 billion and the Infrastructure Protection Program (IPP) totaling $852.4 million.

What's new for fiscal year 2008

* The department will focus on three funding priorities for FY 2008:
- measuring progress against the National Preparedness Guidelines
- strengthening preparedness planning
- strengthen IED prevention, protection and recovery.

* Law Enforcement Activities will become part of both the State Homeland Security Program (SHSP) and Urban Areas Security Initiative (UASI) programs, with a requirement to spend at least 25 percent of each award on these important prevention and protection activities. This will result in an increase of more than $66 million dollars from FY 2007 on prevention activities alone.

* The department is more narrowly focusing the funding priorities this year, with the goal of targeting funding where the largest gaps reside.

* As a result of the Post Katrina Emergency Management Reform Act, the 10 FEMA regions will have an enhanced role in grant activities.

* The burden on grantees will be reduced as the Enhancement Plan portion of the application has been replaced by the State Preparedness Report.

* The department's risk methodology for the grants has been revised to reflect input from the 9/11 Act, including the use of Metropolitan Statistical Areas.

* The department's port-wide risk management activities have expanded this year, and include ports in Group 2, instead of only Group 1.

* The department is also releasing many grant programs on the same day, with the goal of getting application materials out to the eligible applicants approximately two weeks sooner than last year's timeline.

For more details see fact sheet at http://www.dhs.gov/xnews/releases/pr_1201882312614.shtm

Remarks by Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff and Federal Emergency Management Agency Administrator David Paulison

•Date: 5th February 2008• Region: US •Type: Article •Topic: Emergency planning
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