Long Island To Get About $725,000 In Federal Homeland Security Grants

ALBANY, NY — Long Island's counties will be receiving about $725,000 in federal Homeland Security grant funding — half of which will be dedicated to bomb squads — to enhance emergency preparedness operations, Gov. Kathy Hochul announced Thursday.

Close to a half million dollars will help equip and train Nassau and Suffolk police bomb squads to identify and prevent potential emergencies caused by improvised explosive devices. Each department will receive $218,000. Both agencies are part of 12 departments that are accredited by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. A total of $2 million will be distributed between the departments state-wide.

Nassau and Suffolk counties will receive a total of $168,000 as part of the Hazardous Materials Targeted Grant Program, which will help enhance their agencies' response and recovery from acts of terrorism and other emergencies. Nassau is slated to get $76,900, and Suffolk, slightly more at $91,500. The funds will help the counties maintain equipment, put the HazMat Team Accreditation Program into place, conduct training and exercises, and also develop and update response plans.

The counties will receive a little over $70,000 to protect critical infrastructure with risk management to enhance protection capabilities at mass gatherings/special event sites. Nassau will receive about $50,000 and Suffolk, about $20,000.

Nassau also will receive an additional $50,000 for cybersecurity to protect, detect, identify, respond to and recover from cyber incidents. The funding might be used to mitigate capability gaps identified through risk assessment methodology through equipment, training, planning, and exercise costs.

But Suffolk did not.

The county was recently hit by a cyberattack which forced officials to shut down websites and email. There is still only a temporary website directing residents on how each department can be used.

Nassau also will receive $75,000 for Technical Rescue and Urban Search and Rescue Grant funding.

Municipalities across the state will receive a total of $9 million in funding, and of that the City of New York will receive about half a million in grant money.

Governor Hochul said the state's homeland security capabilities will be "greatly strengthened" due to the "partnership" with the Department of Homeland Security.

"My number one commitment is to keep New Yorkers safe, and with these funds in place, New York will be better prepared to respond to any security threat that may come," she said.

The state's Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services Commissioner Jackie Bray said first responders "face a diverse array of challenges every day" and that's why it's critical officials "ensure they have the resources necessary for addressing them."

"This funding plays an important role in that effort by helping connect local law enforcement and emergency personnel from across the state with the equipment and training they need to keep our communities safe, no matter the threat," she said.