The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) recently announced the final allocations for $475 million for several Fiscal Year 21 competitive preparedness grant programs.
The programs, according to DHS, “provide funding to state, local, tribal, and territorial governments, nonprofit agencies, and the private sector in building and sustaining capabilities to prevent, protect against, respond to, and recover from acts of terrorism and other disasters.” And they focus on four critical priority areas: cybersecurity, soft targets and crowded places, domestic violent extremism, and emerging threats, all of which continue to weigh heavy in the minds of emergency management professionals nationwide.
Following is a breakdown of the competitive preparedness grant programs, as described by FEMA:
Operation Stonegarden: Provides $90 million to enhance cooperation and coordination among state, local, tribal, territorial, and federal law enforcement agencies to jointly enhance security along the United States land and water borders.
Tribal Homeland Security Grant Program: Provides $15 million to eligible tribal nations to implement preparedness initiatives to help strengthen the nation against risk associated with potential terrorist attacks and other hazards.
Nonprofit Security Grant Program: Provides $180 million to support target hardening and other physical security enhancements for nonprofit organizations that are at high risk of a terrorist attack. (Note: This year, $90 million is provided to nonprofits in Urban Area Security Initiative (UASI)-designated areas, and $90 million is provided to nonprofits outside those designated urban areas located in any state or territory.)
Port Security Grant Program: