More than 80 percent of the funds – which come from the federal government and are administered by the Governor’s Office of Homeland Security – will go to counties and local jurisdictions throughout Colorado to support local first responders and homeland security initiatives. The projects will improve the state’s preparedness for a man-made or natural disaster.
Funded projects include community preparedness initiatives, detection and protection from explosive devices, interoperable communications capabilities, law enforcement crime data and counter-terrorism tools, planning, information sharing and collaboration capabilities, medical surge capabilities, exercise and training initiatives, and first responder equipment.
“These important grants will help local communities all around the state improve public safety and continue preparing for possible emergencies,” Gov. Ritter said. “Through partnerships like this, we are providing invaluable support to first-responders and local communities.”
One of the largest grants, $952,000, was awarded to Denver, Aurora and Colorado Springs to support and enhance an emergency Metropolitan Medical Response System.
The Governor’s Office of Homeland Security guided the selection process throughout the past six months using risk-based funding formulas and a competitive scoring process judging the quality of the projects submitted.
Almost $30 million of requests for 170 projects were submitted by state agencies and regional authorities in April. These projects were then scored by a cross jurisdictional Grant Review Committee in July. The resulting recommendations for awards for 118 projects were then approved by a Governor’s Homeland Security Senior Advisory Committee and by Gov. Ritter.
The grant programs and 2010 dollar amounts are:
· Homeland Security Grant Program (HSGP) -- $19.3 million:
o State Homeland Security Program (SHSP): $ 11 million
o Denver Urban Areas Security Initiative (UASI): $7.1 million
o Metropolitan Medical Response System (MMRS): $952,000
o Citizens Corp Program (CCP): $213,500
· Denver UASI Nonprofit Security Grant: $75,000
Broken down by geographic area, total Homeland Security Grant Program awards are as follows:
1) City and County of Denver UASI: $5.65 million
2) North Central Region: $2.9 million
3) South Central Region: $1.7 million
4) North East Region: $884,000
5) North West Region: $1.18 million
6) San Luis Valley Region: $396,500
7) South Region: $650,700
8) South East Region: $358,200
9) South West Region: $493,700
10) West Region: $376,200
Local Agency Total: $14.6 million
Descriptions of the nine all-hazards regions and the list of 2010 Colorado Homeland Security projects funded by state agency and region are available on the Governor’s Office of Homeland Security website at www.colorado.gov/homelandsecurity under the recent news banner, or click here for a direct link.
Contacts for the nine all-hazards emergency management regions are also available on this website.
