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Tuesday, July 3, 2012

Over $19 Million in Federal Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness Grants Awarded to Puerto Rico

SAN JUAN, PUERTO RICO—The federal government has awarded Puerto Rico six separate grants, totaling over $19 million, to improve public health emergency planning and to protect infrastructure from criminal or terrorist attacks, Resident Commissioner Pedro Pierluisi announced today.

“Preserving the safety of our citizens is a key responsibility of government. Responding to natural disasters, public health challenges, terrorist attacks and large-scale criminal activity takes special preparation, planning, and cooperation between all levels of government. The federal grants awarded today reflect the high priority that Puerto Rico’s public safety and public health agencies are placing on emergency preparedness, crime control and homeland security,” said Pierluisi.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) awarded the Puerto Rico Department of Health (PRDOH) the largest of the six grants—$11.8 million—to improve medical surge capacity and hospital preparedness in the case of an Island-wide public health emergency. The federal Coordinating Office for Terrorism Preparedness and Emergency Response at HHS will work with PRDOH through a cooperative agreement to design and implement specific projects to be funded by this grant, which is made possible through Puerto Rico’s participation in the federal Hospital Preparedness Program and the Public Health Emergency Preparedness Program.

In addition, the University of Puerto Rico successfully competed for limited federal funds from HHS to continue its training programs for graduate students pursuing careers in medicine and public health. The University is receiving a $50,000 grant from HHS to continue this training assistance, which it began offering with federal support in 1996, over the next academic year.

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has also awarded four grants to the government of Puerto Rico to help address security risks and vulnerabilities on the Island, and to strengthen overall preparedness in the event of an emergency or catastrophic event. These grants include: $4.9 million in a core emergency management performance grant to help all Puerto Rico government agencies collaborate and prepare for Island-wide hazards; $2.8 million to support the implementation of homeland security strategies addressing identified equipment, training and exercise needs; and $655,000 for “Operation Stonegarden” participation, a program involving cooperation between the Puerto Rico Police Department and U.S. Customs and Border Protection to patrol the coasts and secure the maritime border.

Finally, the Municipality of Ponce secured a $32,500 grant from DHS under the Port Security Grant Program to make security improvements at the Port of Ponce, further implement its port security plans and increase port-wide risk management.

“Every day that our emergency responders, health care specialists, and law enforcement officers plan, execute and update those plans, and train together brings us one step closer to being ready in the event of an emergency. We must be vigilant, and these grants strengthen our preparations,” said the Resident Commissioner.