DHS Announces Grant Guidance For Fiscal Year 2012 Preparedness Grants

WASHINGTON —Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano today announced the release of FY 2012 grant guidance and application kits for seven DHS preparedness grant programs totaling over $1.3 billion to assist states, urban areas, tribal and territorial governments, non-profit agencies, and the private sector in strengthening our nation’s ability to prevent, protect, respond to, and recover from terrorist attacks, major disasters and other emergencies in support of the National Preparedness Goal.

In FY 2012, DHS preparedness grants were reduced by nearly $1 billion from the FY 2011 enacted level and $1.5 billion below the President’s FY 2012 request.

“Given the significant reduction in grant funding this year, we are maximizing limited grant dollars by setting clear priorities and focusing on the areas that face the greatest risk,” said Secretary Janet Napolitano. “The FY 2012 homeland security grants are focused on mitigating and responding to the evolving threats we face while beginning to transition to the new vision set forth in the President’s FY 2013 Budget focused on building and sustaining the core capabilities outlined in the National Preparedness Goal.”

Within the requirements of the FY 2012 Appropriation Act, the FY 2012 grants guidance will begin to prepare grantees for the transition to the new grants vision in FY 2013 by consolidating multiple, separate preparedness grant programs into a more streamlined model; addressing the core capabilities outlined in the National Preparedness Goal; and implementing a two year period of performance to put grant funding to work quickly.

Given limited resources, grantees are encouraged to utilize grant funding to maintain and sustain current capabilities through investments in training and exercises, updates to current planning and procedures, and lifecycle replacement of equipment. New capabilities that are built using homeland security grant funding must be deployable if needed to support regional and national efforts. All capabilities being built or sustained must have a clear linkage to the core capabilities in the National Preparedness Goal.

The FY 2012 grants focus on the Nation’s highest risk areas, including urban areas that continue to face the most significant threats. Dedicated funding is provided for law enforcement and terrorism prevention activities throughout the country to prepare for and prevent and respond to pre-operational activity and other crimes that are precursors or indicators of terrorist activity.

The FY 2012 grant guidance incorporates input from DHS’ state, local, tribal, territorial and private sector partners and details specific steps undertaken by DHS to improve the ability of state and local partners to apply for and utilize grant funding. On February 13, 2012, the Department released the Guidance to State Administrative Agencies to Expedite the Expenditure of Certain DHS/FEMA Grant Funding, <http://www.fema.gov/grants> which provides a series of initiatives to help accelerate the drawdown of grant funding, enabling grantees to put previously awarded grant funding to work now in order to build and sustain core capabilities and address evolving threats.

Preparedness Grant Program Allocations for Fiscal Year 2012:

Homeland Security Grant Program (HSGP)—provides more than $830 million for states and urban areas to prevent, protect against, mitigate, respond to, and recover from acts of terrorism and other threats.

State Homeland Security Program (SHSP)—provides $294 million to support the implementation of state homeland security strategies to build and strengthen preparedness capabilities at all levels. The 9/11 Act requires states to dedicate 25 percent of SHSP funds to law enforcement terrorism prevention activities.
Urban Areas Security Initiative (UASI)— provides more than $490 million to enhance regional preparedness and capabilities in 31 high-threat, high-density areas. The 9/11 Act requires states to dedicate 25 percent of UASI funds to law enforcement terrorism prevention activities.
Operation Stonegarden (OPSG)—provides more than $46 million to enhance cooperation and coordination among federal, state, territorial, tribal and local law enforcement agencies to jointly enhance security along the United States land and water borders.

Emergency Management Performance Grants (EMPG) Program—provides more than $339 million to assist state and local governments in enhancing and sustaining all-hazards emergency management capabilities.

Tribal Homeland Security Grant Program (THSGP)—provides $6 million to eligible tribal applicants to implement preparedness initiatives to help strengthen the nation against risk associated with potential terrorist attacks and other hazards.

Nonprofit Security Grant Program (NSGP)—provides $10 million to support target hardening and other physical security enhancements for nonprofit organizations determined to be at high risk of a terrorist attack and located within one of the FY 2012 UASI-eligible urban areas.

Intercity Passenger Rail (Amtrak) Program— provides $10 million to protect critical surface transportation infrastructure and the traveling public from terrorism and increase the resilience of the Amtrak rail system.

Port Security Grant Program (PSGP)— provides more than $97 million to help protect critical port infrastructure from terrorism, enhance maritime domain awareness and strengthen risk management capabilities in order to protect against improvised explosive devices and other non-conventional weapons.

Transit Security Grant Program (TSGP)— provides more than $87 million to owners and operators of transit systems to protect critical surface transportation and the traveling public from acts of terrorism and to increase the resilience of transit infrastructure.

All preparedness grant applications are due no later than May 4, 2012. Final submissions must be made through the Non-Disaster (ND) Grants system located at https://portal.fema.gov