Bredesen Announces Allocation of Homeland Security Grants
NASHVILLE - Governor Phil Bredesen and Safety Commissioner Dave Mitchell today announced the state will receive $20.6 million in Homeland Security Grant funds. More than $15.4 million of the grant funds will be passed through to Tennessee’s 11 Homeland Security District Councils to fund homeland security projects within the cities and counties that comprise the district.
This year’s funding level represents an increase of $550,000 over 2007. The grants will primarily be used to support Tenneessee’s top homeland security priorities: improving interoperable communications, enhancing information sharing, and protecting critical infrastructure.
“These funds will be used to ensure that our law enforcement officers and first responders have the tools necessary to prevent acts of terrorism, protect citizens and infrastructure, and rapidly and effectively respond to acts of terror or natural disasters,” Bredesen said. “Local agencies represent the first line of defense against terrorism and our ability to respond to natural or manmade disasters. We will continue to provide them with the best tools possible to do their job.”
Tennessee’s Homeland Security Districts will soon receive authorization to plan projects and programs to utilize the funding, which comes from five separate federal grants:
- A $12.9 million State Homeland Security Grant from the core homeland security assistance program that provides funds to build capabilities at the state and local levels through planning, equipment, training, and exercise activities.
- A $4.4 million Urban Area Security Initiative Grant for use in the Memphis Urban Area, consisting of Shelby, Tipton, Fayette and Lauderdale counties; as well as DeSoto County, Marshall County, Tate County, and Tunica County, Miss., and Crittendon County, Ark.; to assist in building and sustaining capabilities to prevent, protect against, respond to, and recover from threats or acts of terrorism.
- A $1.8 million Urban Area Security Initiative Grant for use in the Nashville Urban Area, consisting of Davidson, Cannon, Rutherford, Sumner, Trousdale, Williamson, and Wilson counties; to assist in building and sustaining capabilities to prevent, protect against, respond to, and recover from threats or acts of terrorism.
- A $287,000 Citizen Corps Grant to support Citizen Corps Councils, which coordinate the involvement of community members in emergency preparedness, planning, mitigation, response, and recover.
- A $1.28 million Metropolitan Medical Response System Grant to develop and sustain local capabilities to respond to mass casualty events for existing programs in Memphis, Nashville, Knoxville, and Chattanooga.
“Governor Bredesen has ensured that we use homeland security funds to build significant regional capabilities throughout the state to deal with the threats of terrorism and natural disasters,” said Commissioner Mitchell. “We will continue to provide our homeland security districts the ability to plan, train, exercise and equip themselves for potential threats to Tennesseans.”
The Tennessee Office of Homeland Security was made a division of the Department of Safety by Governor Bredesen with Executive Order #48. In his position as Commissioner of the Department of Safety, Mitchell also serves as director of the Office of Homeland Security.
District Homeland Security Funds
#1 – First Tennessee $1,205,361
#2 – East Tennessee $2,650,425
#3 – Southeast Tennessee $1,435,690
#4 – Upper Cumberland $740,774
#5 – Greater Nashville $2,834,315
#6 – South Central Tennessee 1 $478,474
#7 – North Central Tennessee $777,497
#8 – South Central Tennessee 2 $499,490
#9 – Northwest Tennessee $639,908
#10 – Southwest Tennessee $615,502
#11 – Memphis Area $3,606,525
Editor’s Note: The map of Tennessee’s Homeland Security Districts provided below indicates the counties that comprise each district.
