Half-a-Million In Grants For Hudson Valley Emergency Response

HUDSON VALLEY, NY — Hudson Valley communities and counties will receive Homeland Security grants to help fund vital emergency response teams and protect critical infrastructure. Locally, infrastructure grants are going to Dutchess County, the city of White Plains, the city of Yonkers and the town of Harrison. A regional HazMat team grant is coming to Rockland County and its partners Orange, Sullivan and Ulster; and to Westchester County and its partners Dutchess and Putnam.

The $6.5 million in funding supports New York's explosive detection canine teams, hazardous materials teams, tactical teams, and technical rescue and urban search teams, as well as the protection of critical infrastructure. (For more stories on community preparedness, sign up for Patch’s daily newsletters and updates.)

"Public safety is our top priority, and this funding allows cities and counties to provide our first responders with the tools and resources they need to protect New Yorkers in their time of need," Gov. Andrew Cuomo said in an announcement about the awards. "These programs help support our goal of having the best trained and best equipped first responders in the nation."

Critical Infrastructure Grant Program

This program promotes a common approach to risk management and provides funding to support local first responders' efforts to mitigate risk and enhance protection capabilities at special event sites and government owned critical infrastructure sites. In all 14 awards were made, four of them local:

• Dutchess - $50,000
• Harrison - $27,219
• White Plains - $50,000
• Yonkers - $49,800

Hazardous Materials Targeted Grant Program

This program serves as a resource for 18 regional HazMat Teams outside of New York City to help New Yorkers respond to and recover from acts of terrorism and other emergencies. Regions use this funding to obtain and maintain essential equipment, implement the HazMat Team Accreditation Program, conduct trainings and exercises, and develop and update HazMat response plans. In all, 18 awards were made, two of them local:

• Rockland County (Orange, Sullivan, Ulster) - $142,000
• Westchester County (Dutchess, Putnam) - $132,000

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