DHS to award $1.7B in grants for emergency preparedness

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) will award eight preparedness grant programs totaling more than $1.7 billion in fiscal year 2019.

The grants will provide funding to states and local governments, as well as transportation authorities, nonprofit organizations, and the private sector, to improve the nation’s readiness for terrorist attacks, major disasters, and other emergencies.  

“The administration remains committed to strengthening the security and resilience of our state and local communities,” Deputy DHS Secretary David Pekoske said. “The DHS grant programs are flexible by design and will be used to help address evolving threats. They will go toward building and sustaining capabilities across all levels of government and the whole community to maximize preparedness.”

The program will award $350 million through an Emergency Management Performance Grant. Also, it will award about $1 billion for a Homeland Security Grant, including $415 million through a State Homeland Security grant, $590 million through the Urban Area Security Initiative (UASI), and $90 million through Operation Stonegarden (OPSG).

Further, it will award $10 million through a Tribal Homeland Security Grant Program; $60 million through  a Nonprofit Security Grant Program; $10 million through a Intercity Passenger Rail – Amtrak (IPR) Program; $100 million through a Port Security Grant Program; $88 million through a Transit Security Grant Program; and $2 million through an Intercity Bus Security Grant Program.