By Sarah Roebuck
WASHINGTON — The Department of Homeland Security has announced more than $1.8 billion in funding for eight 2024 preparedness grant programs, according to a FEMA news release.
The grant programs will allocate funds to assist state, local, tribal and territorial officials in preparing for, preventing, protecting against and responding to acts of terrorism and disasters, according to FEMA.
“As threats continue to evolve, the Department of Homeland Security is committed to providing state, local, tribal and territorial governments, as well as transportation authorities and nonprofit organizations, with vital resources to help them strengthen our nation’s security and preparedness,” said Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro N. Mayorkas. “This funding is essential for frontline personnel, including emergency managers, firefighters, emergency medical services, law enforcement and other first responders. The grants will play a critical role in ensuring local communities across the country have the resources and capabilities to prevent threats to the homeland.”
The DHS is allocating 35% of the funding from both the State Homeland Security Program (SHSP) and the Urban Area Security Initiative (UASI) to be used for Law Enforcement Terrorism Prevention Activities (LETPA). The DHS’ enforcement experts have worked with FEMA to review and refine their policies and program decisions.
For the 2024 fiscal year, the DHS said it continues to prioritize six key areas:
- Cybersecurity
- Protecting soft targets and crowded places
- Intelligence and information sharing
- Combating domestic violent extremism
- Enhancing community preparedness and resilience
- Securing elections.
Recipients of grants from the State Homeland Security Program and the Urban Area Security Initiative must allocate at least 30% of their funding to these priority areas. Specifically, a minimum of 3% must be spent on election security. The remaining 27% can be distributed flexibly among the six areas.
