Securing the Homeland: Protecting Our Urban Areas

If not already completed, each transit system would be required to conduct an assessment and preparedness plan on which to base resource allocations.
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY
Office of the Press Secretary
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

May 14, 2003

SECURING THE HOMELAND:
PROTECTING OUR URBAN AREAS

Today the Department of Homeland Security announced the allocation of $700 million dollars from the FY '03 Supplemental Budget to enhance the security of urban areas with high density population areas and critical infrastructure.

"One of the most important responsibilities of the Department of Homeland Security is to enhance the capabilities of our nation's first responders and first preventers who devote themselves to preventing terrorism and responding to emergencies," said Secretary of Homeland Security Tom Ridge. "These grants demonstrate our strong commitment to provide assistance to the men and women on the front lines of the war against terrorism. The dissemination of this funding takes into account threats, population density and the presence of critical infrastructure which will best help to secure our homeland in an environment where we must ensure maximum benefit is derived from every security dollar."

$500 Million in Formula Grants

$500 million will be provided through the states to 30 cities and their contiguous counties and mutual aid partners. The cities have been determined based on a formula developed by the Department of Homeland Security that takes into account, threat information, critical infrastructure, and population density.

Allowable uses of funds would include, but not be limited to, operational activities conducted during the heightened alert level from January 2003 through April 2003, critical infrastructure security, training, exercises, equipment, and information sharing.

Funding allocations among the cities, contiguous counties and mutual aid partners will be based on an urban area assessment and preparedness plan.

New York City, New York

The Department of Homeland Security has announced that $125 million from the FY '03 Supplemental Budget will be made available to the City of New York, its contiguous counties and mutual aid partners. This new money made available is in addition to the $25 million made available to the City of New York from the first round of Urban Area Security Initiative Funds. In addition, the Office for Domestic Preparedness within the Department of Homeland Security made $26 million available to the State of New York from the FY '03 Budget in the month of March and $70.12 million to the State of New York from the FY '03 Supplemental Budget in April in the form of grants for first responders.

Washington, D.C. - National Capital Region

The Department of Homeland Security has announced that an additional $42.4 million will be made available to the National Capital Region, its contiguous counties and mutual aid partners. These new funds are made available in addition to the $18.20 million announced from the first round of Urban Area Security Initiative funds from the Department of Homeland Security. In addition, the Office for Domestic Preparedness within the Department of Homeland Security made $2.7 million available to Washington, D.C. from the FY '03 Budget in the month of March and $13 million from the FY '03 Supplemental Budget in April in the form of grants for first responders.

Chicago, Illinois

The Department of Homeland Security has announced that an additional $29.97 million will be made available to the City of Chicago, its contiguous counties and mutual aid partners in the form of grants for first responders. These new funds are made available in addition to the $10.97 million made available for the first round of Urban Area Security Initiative funding. In addition, the Office for Domestic Preparedness within the Department of Homeland Security made $18.8 million available to Illinois from the FY '03 Budget in the month of March and $50 million to the State from the FY '03 Supplemental Budget in April in the form of grants for first responders.

Houston, Texas

The Department of Homeland Security has announced that an additional $23.77 million will be made available to the City of Houston, its contiguous counties and mutual aid partners in the form of grants for first responders. These new funds are made available in addition to $8.69 million made available to Houston from the first round of Urban Area Security Initiative funding. In addition, the Office for Domestic Preparedness within the Department of Homeland Security made $29.5 million available to Texas from the FY '03 Budget in the month of March and $78.2 million to the State from the FY '03 Supplemental Budget in April in the form of grants for first responders.

Los Angeles, California

The Department of Homeland Security has announced that an additional $18.87 million will be made available to the City of Los Angeles, its contiguous counties and mutual aid partners in the form of grants for first responders. These new funds are made available in addition to the $12.51 million announced from the first round of Urban Area Security Initiative funding from the Department of Homeland Security. In addition, the Office for Domestic Preparedness within the Department of Homeland Security made $45 million available to California from the FY '03 Budget in the month of March and $119.3 million to the State from the FY '03 Supplemental Budget in April in the form of grants for first responders.

San Francisco, California

The Department of Homeland Security has announced that an additional $18.59 million will be made available to the City of San Francisco, its contiguous counties and mutual aid partners in the form of grants for first responders. These new funds are made available in addition to the $10.42 million made available from the first round of Urban Area Security Initiative funding. In addition, the Office for Domestic Preparedness within the Department of Homeland Security made $45 million available to California from the FY '03 Budget in the month of March and $119.2 million to the State from the FY '03 Supplemental Budget in April in the form of grants for first responders.

Seattle, Washington

The Department of Homeland Security has announced that an additional $18.18 million will be made available to the City of Seattle, its contiguous counties and mutual aid partners in the form of grants for first responders. These new funds are made available in addition to the $11.28 million made available from the first round of Urban Area Security Initiative funding. In addition, the Office for Domestic Preparedness within the Department of Homeland Security made $11.3 million available to Washington from the FY '03 Budget in the month of March and $29.9 million to the State from the FY '03 Supplemental Budget in April in the form of grants for first responders.


Additional cities:
Boston, Massachusetts 16.72 million
Denver, Colorado 15.57 million
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 14.21 million
Miami, Florida 13.18 million
Detroit, Michigan 12.27 million
Newark, New Jersey 11.89 million
San Diego, California 11.36 million
Phoenix, Arizona 11.03 million
Baltimore, Maryland 10.90 million
Dallas, Texas 10.39 million
Buffalo, New York 10.27 million
St. Louis, Missouri 9.85 million
Kansas City, Missouri 9.69 million
Cincinnati, Ohio 7.99 million
Sacramento, California 6.91 million
Honolulu, Hawaii 6.87 million
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 6.82 million
Long Beach, California 6.46 million
New Orleans, Louisiana 6.28 million
Memphis, Tennessee 6.07 million
Cleveland, Ohio 5.86 million
Tampa, Florida 5.77 million


$75 Million in Port Security Grants

$75 million would be provided directly to selected high threat ports in the country and certain Liberty Shield port areas.

Allowable uses of funds for the ports would include, but not be limited to operational activities conducted during ORANGE alert from January 2003 through April 2003, critical infrastructure security, security enhancements, training, exercises, equipment, planning, and information sharing.

Each port would allocate funds based on an approved Transportation Security Administration and/or United States Coast Guard vulnerability self-assessments in accordance with the Maritime Transportation Security Act.


Port Security Grants
Port Amount
New York/New Jersey $9,371,218
Seattle $6,765,724
Miami $6,595,000
Port Canaveral, FL $4,352,378
San Juan, PR $1,605,958
Los Angeles/Long Beach $9,076,700
Charleston $5,124,554
Hampton Roads $6,600,000
Houston $6,546,492
Philadelphia $6,450,211
New Orleans $6,400,200
Beaumont $5,611,565
Valdez (Individual Facility) $250,000
LA LOOP (Individual Facility) $250,000
Grand Total $75,000,000


$65 Million for Mass Transit Security

$65 million will be provided through the States to the highest risk transit systems in the country. States could use 20 percent of the award for each transportation agency to complement state assets at those sites. Allowable uses of funds would include:

  • Installation of physical barricades,
  • Area monitoring systems such as; video surveillance, motion detectors, thermal/IR imagery and chemical/radiological material detection systems,
  • Integrated communications systems
  • Prevention planning, training and exercises.
  • operational activities conducted during ORANGE alert from January 2003 through April 2003 (overtime, limited to 10 percent of the gross award).


Ridership Ranking of Transit Agencies
in the Top 20 Metropolitan Areas
$65MM
1. New York City Transit 26,662,867
2. Chicago Transit Authority 5,117,019
3. Los Angeles Metropolitan Transportation Authority 4,577,600
4. Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority 3,783,396
5. Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority 3,709,839
6. Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA) 3,388,959
7. San Francisco Municipal Railway 2,411,395
8. New Jersey Transit Corporation 2,346,366
9. Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority 1,781,362
10. New York City Department of Transportation 1,389,057
11. Mass Transit Administration - Maryland DOT 1,225,952
12. Long Island Rail Road 1,120,414
13. King County Department of Transportation (WA) 1,098,027
14. Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County (TX) 1,062,847
15. San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit District 976,498
16. Tri-County Metropolitan Transportation (OR) 926,394
17. Miami-Dade Transit 896,544
18. Port Authority Trans-Hudson Corporation (NY/NJ) 877,356
19. Regional Transportation District (CO) 825,119
20. Port Authority of Allegheny County (PA) 822,987
Total 65,000,000


$35 Million for Radiological Defense Systems

$35 million will be used for grants to implement a radiological defensive system in the New York/New Jersey Metropolitan Area ($30 million), and the Charleston, South Carolina Metropolitan Area ($5 million). The proposed $35 million in funding would be part of the Radiological Dispersion Device/Improvised Nuclear Device Project run out of Border and Transportation Security within DHS.

This program would immediately enhance the radiological detection capabilities of these areas and begin the process of establishing a layered and linked system of fixed radiological sensors around the heart of each region. This program would work with Federal, state and local partners to improve detection, prevention, response, mitigation, and recovery through training, equipping, and coordinating from a broad perspective.

$15 Million for Pilot Projects

$15 million will be made available through a discretionary grant program for the development of projects that would affect high density urban areas, high-threat areas, and for the protection of critical infrastructure.

$10 Million for Technical Assistance to State and Local Jurisdictions

$10 million dollars would be allocated to provide technical assistance to those State and local jurisdictions receiving funding under this program. This assistance would be in the form of direct services and would include, but not be limited to, interoperable communications assistance, assistance with conducting assessments, assistance with developing emergency operations and site security plans, implementation of the radiological defense system, and development and conduct of exercises.