The State of New York recently received more than $5 million in federal Homeland Security grant funding for local governments across the state to enhance counterterrorism initiatives and strengthen public safety-related projects.
The funding was announced by New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), and members of the New York congressional delegation.
The grants will go to support local law enforcement response teams, technical search and rescue initiatives, explosive detection canine units, and protection for critical New York infrastructure.
“Providing local governments with the funds necessary to support the public safety of the communities they serve is essential to keeping our residents, and those who visit our state, safe,” John Melville, commissioner of New York’s Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services, said. “These programs allow our first responders to enhance their abilities to protect life and property.”
New York will now allocate $2.97 million in funding to 30 organizations through the Tactical Team Grant Program, which aims to enhance existing capabilities for improvised explosive device or counterterrorism missions.
More than $1 million of the funds will go towards the state’s Technical Rescue and Urban Search Grant Program, which assists local emergency response teams on initiatives related to structural collapse, trench, confined space, and rope rescue response operations.
The state will directly allocate $642,776 to 22 local law enforcement agencies to assist in building and expanding their explosives-detecting canine teams.
The remaining funds will go towards the state’s Critical Infrastructure Grant Program, which will help selected applicants protect certain critical infrastructure sites.