PROVIDENCE – Rhode Island will receive $7,911,775 in federal national preparedness funds to bolster its disaster preparedness and emergency response capabilities, U.S. Sens. Jack F. Reed and Sheldon Whitehouse and U.S. Reps. James R. Langevin and David N. Cicilline announced Friday.
The funding has been awarded by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and will be managed by the Rhode Island Emergency Management Agency. Assets from the fund can be used by state and local responders to acquire new safety equipment and training to better the state’s disaster preparedness and response abilities.
“Hurricane Harvey illustrates why we need to invest in the emergency response capabilities of every community,” Reed said. “Rhode Island can use these federal funds for equipment and training to improve our capacity to respond to all sorts of emergencies and disasters.”
Funding from the DHS is broken down to cover specific areas:
- $3.75 million has been awarded as part of the State Homeland Security Program which aids in the application of state homeland security practices to plan and organize response to disasters.
- $3.3 million comes in the form of Emergency Management Performance Grants which are specifically tailored to address the containment of hazards in disaster scenarios.
- As part of the Port Security Program, the state will receive $856,154 to better defend its port infrastructure from damage during disasters and minimize broader maritime security risks.
“As Rhode Islanders, we know to hope for the best and prepare for the worst,” Congressman Cicilline said. “It’s critical that we’re always equipped to respond to any security challenges or natural disasters.”
Kyle Borowski is a PBN contributing writer.
