WASHINGTON - Chuck Grassley today said that the U.S. Department of Homeland Security has awarded competitive grants totaling $3,146,657 to the state of Iowa, Iowa cities and Iowa businesses through the Freight Rail Security Grant Program, the Port Security Grant Program, the Intercity Bus Security Grant Program, the Buffer Zone Protection Program, the Interoperable Emergency Communications Grant Program, the Driver's License Security Grant Program and the Emergency Operations Center Grant Program.
"The federal government has a responsibility to defend the homeland," Grassley said. "This funding will help prevent future emergencies and protect Iowans."
DHS will distribute the money as shown below ordered alphabetically by town.
Through the Freight Rail Security Grant Program:
· Iowa Interstate Railroad, Ltd. in Cedar Rapids will receive $100,000
Through the Port Security Grant Program:
· Davenport Fire Department in Davenport will receive $200,000
Through the Intercity Bus Security Grant Program:
· Royal Charter, Inc. will receive $20,627
· Windstar Lines, Inc. will receive $273,353
Through the Buffer Zone Protection Program:
· Iowa will receive $200,000
Through the Interoperable Emergency Communications Grant Program:
· Iowa will receive $452,000
Through the Driver's License Security Grant Program:
· Iowa will receive $800,677
Through the Emergency Operations Center Grant Program:
· Benton County Emergency Management Commission will receive $500,000
· Ames will receive $600,000
The Freight Rail Security Grant Program encourages sustainable, risk-based efforts to protect travelers and surface transportation infrastructure from acts of terrorism and other emergencies.
The Port Security Grant Program provides grant funding to port areas for the protection of critical port infrastructure, particularly from attacks using explosives or non-conventional threats that could cause major disruption to commerce.
The Intercity Bus Security Grant Program funds sustainable protection of travelers and intercity bus systems from acts of terrorism.
The Buffer Zone Protection Program provides funding to increase preparedness of departments responsible for the security of communities near critical infrastructure and key resources. These include chemical facilities, financial institutions, nuclear and electric power plants, dams, stadiums, etc.
The Interoperable Emergency Communications Grant Program funds initiatives carried out by states, territories, and local and tribal governments designed to improve communication and cooperation during collective emergency response.
The Driver's License Security Grant Program advances public safety by improving the security of state-issued driver's licenses and ID cards.
The Emergency Operations Center Grant Program identifies and corrects weaknesses in current emergency response programs.
Each year, thousands of local Iowa organizations, colleges and universities, individuals and state agencies apply for competitive grants from the federal government. The funding is then awarded based on each local organization or individual's ability to meet criteria set by the federal entity.
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