Rockland Will Get Chunk of Federal Grants for Emergency and Counterterrorism Training

Rockland County will receive $745,000 out of more than $233 million in federal grants that will support counterterrorism and emergency preparedness activities in counties across New York State.

The funding, provided by the Federal Emergency Management Agency through its Homeland Security Grant Program, supports regional preparedness efforts, including planning, organization, and training activities that are critical to sustaining and improving community prevention, protection, response, and recovery capabilities, state officials said.

The money can also go toward equipment purchases.

“New York continues to be a target for terrorism, and we must ensure there is adequate funding to prepare, plan and prevent,” Governor Andrew Cuomo said in a prepared statement. “This funding will help defend the state against those who wish to do harm and will support our first responders who are called upon when emergency strikes. Keeping New Yorkers safe is the top priority, and through these programs and exercises we will continue to work toward this goal.”

Key programs include:

• The Urban Areas Security Initiative, which is providing nearly $181 million in funding to critical anti-terrorism programs in the New York City urban area, which includes New York City, the City of Yonkers, Westchester County, Nassau County, and Suffolk County.
• The State Homeland Security Program, which is providing more than $52 million in funding to counties across the state and to New York City to prevent, protect against, respond to, and recover from acts of terrorism and other catastrophic disasters.

Putnam County will receive $275,000. Westchester County will receive $1.4 million.

“The Hudson Valley has been hit hard by Irene, Sandy and Lee, and these important resources will allow our first responders to prepare and protect our communities from both terrorism and natural disasters,” said Congressman Sean Patrick Maloney.

Congressman Eliot Engel said every dollar spent on counter-terrorism in New York is a dollar well spent.

Congresswoman Nita Lowey agreed.

“The DHS funding crisis manufactured by the House Republican majority earlier this year endangered the safety of our region by threatening these very funds,” she said. “As Ranking Member on the House Appropriations Committee, I will continue to lead the charge to keep New York communities secure.”