R.I. gets $12M for emergency response

Marion Davis

06/19/2009

Rhode Island has been awarded more than $12 million by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to help state and local agencies and nonprofits prepare for and respond to natural and man-made disasters.
The funds, approved in the fiscal 2009 spending bill and administered by the Federal Emergency Management Agency, will come as five separate grants:

Through the State Homeland Security Program, Rhode Island will get $6,524,500 to help equip emergency responders and train them to prevent, protect against, respond to, and recover from emergencies and acts of terrorism.
Through the Urban Areas Security Initiative, $4,764,300 is being awarded to protect the Providence area by helping enhance and sustain local authorities’ capabilities to prevent, protect against, respond to, and recover from acts of terrorism.
Through the Metropolitan Medical Response System, Providence is getting $321,221 to help local officials plan for and respond to regional mass casualty incidents, including terrorism, naturally occurring events, and large-scale hazardous materials incidents.
Through the Citizen Corps Program, the state will get $139,520 to support activities involving citizens in emergency preparedness, planning, mitigation, response and recovery.
Through the UASI Nonprofit Security Grant Program, $366,759 will be awarded to support preparedness work by nonprofits in the nine communities in the Providence urban area.
Through the Regional Catastrophic Preparedness Grant Program, $1,420,875 will go to support regional all-hazard planning for the Boston Area, which includes 17 counties and 17 cities in eastern Massachusetts, southern New Hampshire and all of Rhode Island.

“This funding will help keep Rhode Islanders secure by ensuring our first responders have the training and tools they need in the event of a crisis or emergency,” said U.S. Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, D-R.I., in a news release. “These grants will have a real impact for Rhode Island’s cities and towns.”
“This funding is essential to ensure Rhode Island is prepared to respond to all types of emergencies, at any time,” said U.S. Rep. James Langevin, D.-R.I. “In these tough budget times, it is key that Rhode Island continues to have access to the appropriate resources for any scenario that may come our way.”

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