Grant Information
The Department of Emergency Management is currently working on four WMD grants:
1. Louisiana Terrorism Equipment Grant. We have received $310,000.00 for the purchase of equipment for emergency responders. This was a multi-year award covering years ’99 through ’02. We are using these funds to purchase protective clothing for first responders and an Explosive Ordinance Disposal robot for the Sheriff’s department. These funds originated from the Justice Department and passed through the State.
2. Nunn-Lugar-Domenici Domestic Preparedness Equipment Program. We are to receive $310,000.00 from the Justice Department/Homeland Security Department as one of 120 cities selected for this program. The grant is divided into two parts: $30,000.00 for administration of a training and exercise program and $280,000.00 for response equipment. We have submitted an equipment list that includes mass decontamination equipment and long duration breathing apparatus for the hazardous materials trailers.
3. Metropolitan Medical Response System. This program requires the Parish, in cooperation with the medical community, to author a plan that addresses mass casualty concerns involved in major terrorist events that include chemical, biologic or radioactive agents. The $400,000.00 grant is to be dispersed to the Parish as planning checkpoints, established by the US Department of Health & Human Services/Department of Homeland Security, are achieved. These funds must be used for pharmaceuticals, antidote kits, and emergency response equipment. The equipment list is to be established by a committee that represents a cross section of the medical and response communities. !!!"Update" We have just been notified that an additional $200,000.00 supplement has been added to this program for a total grant amount of $600,000.00!
4. Louisiana Homeland Security Exercise Program Grant. We have applied for funds that would allow us to design an exercise program that will include table top and full-scale drills that can be delivered at the local and parish-wide level. There is a need to be able to assist individual organizations and municipalities in preparing for terrorism events. This grant will allow us to create multimedia events that will simulate real events and make the exercise experience more realistic.
We are in the application process for three additional Homeland Security Grants:
1. Louisiana Terrorism Equipment Grant, 2003. We will submit an application this week for $600,000.00 to continue equipping first responders for terrorist events. In addition to our continuing effort to provide protective clothing for first responders, we are requesting long duration breathing apparatus for JPSO’s LASER Division and for 7th District fire departments. We are also requesting extrication equipment for the Westwego Fire Department. UPDATE: We have just received notification of our base grant for 2003: $189,000.00 plus a supplemental grant of as much as three times the base amount.
2. Louisiana State University. We have applied for several training classes that will be covered by a Department of Homeland Security Grant that has been awarded to LSU. These classes will be delivered locally with no cost. Subjects include Law Enforcement Response to Domestic Terrorism Incidents (Awareness Level and Operations Level), Response to Biologic Terrorism (Operations Level and Technician Level) and Computer Aided Management of Emergency Operations (CAMEO) for Terrorism Incidents.
3. Louisiana Homeland Security Regional Planning & Response Program. Our region (Jefferson, Orleans, Plaquemine and St. Bernard Parishes) have been allotted $98,300.00 for the development of a Regional Terrorism Response Plan that pools the resources of the member parishes to benefit the metropolitan area as a whole.
We will be looking for further grant opportunities to fulfill our needs.
