Kentucky Gets $3 Million to Enhance Emergency Management

Kentucky Gets $3 Million to Enhance Emergency Management

U.S. Representative Harold "Hal" Rogers (KY05) announced today that Kentucky's Office of Homeland Security is immediately eligible for $3.1 million in U.S. Department of Homeland Security Emergency Management Performance Grants. These funds assist state and local emergency operations centers - the coordination hubs during multi-agency responses to potential terrorism and natural disasters.

Emergency management agencies bring together law enforcement, fire, EMS and public health, to coordinate government resources and maximize preparedness, response and recovery measures.

"We must enable our first responders on the front lines to work seamlessly with each other, which is precisely what we mean by ‘emergency management,' said Rep. Rogers. "These funds will increase Kentucky's ability to manage those complex, multi-jurisdictional incidents where seconds count and lives are at stake."

The Emergency Management Performance Grant program provides funding to State Administrative Agencies to boost capabilities at emergency operations centers across the country. This year, DHS is awarding $194 million under this program.

Rogers is the top Republican on the House Homeland Security Appropriations Subcommittee, which writes the federal budget for DHS and has direct oversight of the Department's wide-ranging security efforts. DHS is the third-largest federal cabinet agency behind the Departments of Defense and Veterans Affairs and is home to roughly 180,000 employees. Security-related entities such as the Transportation Security Administration, Customs Service, Secret Service, and Coast Guard fall under the DHS umbrella.

http://halrogers.house.gov/Read.aspx?ID=114