Tucson, AZ — Congressman Raúl M. Grijalva announced that two communities in Congressional District 7 will receive funds from the Department of Homeland Security through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Plan (ARRA) for emergency preparedness services.
“These funds will be used to ensure public safety for our communities,” stated Grijalva. “The DHS infrastructure security programs are designed to strengthen the nation’s ability to protect critical infrastructure facilities and transit systems. Communities throughout Southern Arizona have long needed this additional assistance and this will ensure that the security and safety for our infrastructures will continue to exist.”
The City of Tucson will receive $740,867 through the Transit Security Grant Program (TSGP). The TSGP provides grant funding to the nation’s key high-threat urban areas to enhance security measures for their critical transit infrastructure including bus, ferry and rail systems.
The Gila River Indian Community, will receive $31,500 through the Emergency Operations Center (EOC) Grant Program. The grant provides funding for construction or renovation for EOC centers and will help improve emergency management and preparedness capabilities.
The State of Arizona will also receive the following grants under the ARRA:
•Driver’s License Security Grant Program (DLSGP) – $1,169,839 to prevent terrorism, reduce fraud and to improve the reliability and accuracy of personal identification documents that states and territories issue.
•Interoperable Emergency Communications Grant Program (IECGP) – $923,912 for planning, training, exercises and equipment to states, territories, local and tribal governments to carry out initiatives identified in Statewide Communication Interoperability Plans, and improve interoperable emergency communications for responding to natural disasters and acts of terrorism.
The Fiscal Year (FY) 2009 Preparedness Grants for 10 federal grant programs, will total nearly $970 million in federal funding to assist state, local and tribal governments and private industry in strengthening community preparedness. Awards will be made on a rolling basis over the summer.
Further information on preparedness grant programs is available at www.dhs.gov and www.fema.gov/grants.