FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE???????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????? DOJ
APRIL 19, 2002??????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????? 202/307-0703
ATTORNEY GENERAL ASHCROFT ANNOUNCES MORE THAN
$6 MILLION IN TERRORISM PREPAREDNESS GRANTS
WASHINGTON, D.C. ? Attorney General John
Ashcroft announced today that three states and three cities will receive a
total of $6,113,000 million in grants to bolster domestic preparedness and
security.? The Justice Department plans
to announce awards for additional sites over the next several months.?
?Courageous local police, firefighters and
EMTs were first on the scene in the horror of September 11, and many others
like them will be first on the scene of any future attack.? These grant funds demonstrate the Administration?s
commitment to equipping those on the domestic front lines ? our state and local
emergency first responders ? to respond to terrorist attacks,? said Attorney
General Ashcroft.? ?The grants are an
important part of our fight against terrorism, and representative of the
federal, state and local cooperation necessary to win that fight.??
Arkansas, Missouri and Vermont will receive
awards through the Office for Domestic Preparedness? State Domestic
Preparedness Equipment Program.? The
funds will be used to purchase specialized equipment for emergency response
agencies, including law enforcement personnel,
fire and emergency medical services and hazardous materials response
units, who would be the first responders to terrorist acts.
All 50 states, the territories, and the
District of Columbia will receive funds through this program to purchase a wide
array of equipment including personal protective equipment; chemical,
biological or radiological detection equipment; chemical, biological or
radiological decontamination equipment; and communications equipment.? To qualify for funding, states, territories,
and the District of Columbia first had to conduct a comprehensive assessment of
risk, capabilities and needs related to a potential terrorist attack, and
develop a multi-year Statewide Domestic Preparedness Strategy that guides their
spending of these funds.
The Attorney General also announced today
that three cities will receive funds through the Department?s
Nunn-Lugar-Domenici (NLD) Domestic Preparedness Program, which provides the
nation?s 120 largest jurisdictions with a combination of training, exercises
and equipment acquisition support tailored to local needs.? The cities ? Glendale, Arizona; Shreveport,
Louisiana; and Spokane, Washington ? will use the funds to purchase specialized
domestic preparedness training equipment for law enforcement personnel, local
hazardous materials personnel, and fire services and emergency medical services
personnel.
Today?s awards represent the Administration?s
continuing support of state and local emergency first responders through ODP?s
State Domestic Preparedness Equipment Program and the Nunn-Lugar-Domenici
Domestic Preparedness Program.?
For more information on the Office of
Domestic Preparedness (ODP) and other OJP programs, please see OJP's Website
at:? www.ojp.usdoj.gov/.
Media calls should be directed to David Hess
in OJP?s Office of Congressional and Public Affairs at 202/307-0703.
###
OJP02097
Department of Justice
Office for Domestic Preparedness
Awards to Cities and States to Bolster Domestic
Preparedness and Combat Terrorism
City/State |
Awardee |
DOJ Program |
Award Amount |
Glendale,
Arizona |
City
of Glendale |
Nunn-Lugar-Domenici
Domestic Preparedness Program |
$310,000 |
Shreveport,
Louisiana |
City
of Shreveport |
Nunn-Lugar-Domenici
Domestic Preparedness Program |
$280,000 |
Spokane,
Washington |
City
of Spokane |
Nunn-Lugar-Domenici
Domestic Preparedness Program |
$280,000 |
Arkansas |
Department
of Emergency Management |
State
Domestic Preparedness Equipment Program |
$1,609,000 |
Missouri |
State
Emergency Management Agency |
State
Domestic Preparedness Equipment Program |
$2,876,000 |
Vermont |
Department
of Public Safety |
State
Domestic Preparedness Equipment Program |
$758,000 |
Total: |
|
|
$6,113,000 |