Blunt Announces Missouri Will Receive
$42.8 Million in Homeland Security Funds
JEFFERSON CITY, June 1, 2006-Gov. Matt Blunt today announced
Missouri will receive $42,860,979 in funds from the U.S. Department
of Homeland Security for State and Local Homeland Security initiatives.
“Missouri’s share of federal funds will
have a direct impact on our state’s emergency preparedness planning
for a range of threats facing our communities, ultimately reducing
the impact of major events on lives, property and the economy,”
Blunt said. “I commend Missouri’s Homeland Security team
for their ability to convey Missouri’s public protection needs
to the federal government.”
Missouri will receive Department of Homeland Security
funds in the following programs:
· State Homeland Security Program (SHSP) $17,980,000
· Urban Areas Security Initiatives (UASI) $18,440,000 (Kansas
City will receive $9,240,000 and St Louis will receive $9,200,000)
· Law Enforcement Terrorism Prevention Program (LETPP) $5,610,000
· Metropolitan Medical Response System (MMRS) $464,440
· Citizen Corps Program (CCP) $366,319
The national peer reviewers deemed 8 of 15 of Missouri’s
justifications as being in the top 15 percent of the 586 proposals
submitted to Department of Homeland Security. Overall, the peer groups
rated Missouri’s proposal in the top 25 percent and 50 percent.
“SEMA spent hundreds of hours working with local
officials, the UASIs, and state agencies gathering information to
write and submit Missouri’s FY’06 Homeland Security Grant
proposal, said Mark James Director of Public Safety. “I am proud
of the work Missouri presented to the federal government.”
The grant application process brought state, local
and Urban Areas Security Initiatives (UASI) officials together to
work on a risk analysis for Missouri. The grant proposal also outlined
how Missouri would use federal funds to enhance Missouri’s capabilities.
Missouri has two UASI cities - St. Louis and Kansas City.
“Once the official grant letter is received,
Missouri will have 60 days to reprioritize some objectives and allocate
the funds,” said Ronald M. Reynolds, State Emergency Management
Agency (SEMA) Director and Missouri’s State Administrative Agent
(SAA) for Homeland Security grant management.
This year’s competitive Homeland Security grants
were peer reviewed and based on risk and state and Urban Area Security
Initiatives (UASI) objectives. The Department of Homeland Security’s
total FY06 Homeland Security Grant was $500 Million less for the entire
nation than last year.