In an effort to assist states and localities with preparing for terrorist attacks the following is a report of selected federal preparedness programs. The Departments of Defense, Justice, and Health and Human Services, and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) authorize the listed programs. These agencies provide grants, training and technical assistance to preparedness programs and have designated each program into one of the following categories:
- Emergency management and planning
- Training
- Equipment
- Law enforcement
- Public health and medical community
The program title, summary description, administering agency, contact phone number and Web site are listed in the report. For further information on any one of the profiled programs, visit the agency Web site as listed.
Emergency Management Institute: provides training for state and local emergency response personnel in fundamental emergency management and terrorism preparedness. All programs follow the Comprehensive Emergency Management System, incorporating basic emergency response concepts: preparedness, mitigation, response and recovery.
Agency: Federal Emergency Management Agency
Phone: (800) 238-3358
Web site:http://training.fema.gov/EMIWeb/
Emergency Management Performance Grants (EMPG): are offered to states with an interest in developing comprehensive emergency management plans. FEMA encourages states to use EMPG funds for 13 specific emergency management functions.
Agency: Federal Emergency Management Agency
Phone: (202) 646-4157
National Fire Academy: trains state and local emergency managers to enhance the professionalism of the fire service and emergency medical service in areas of incident management, information management, hazardous materials, fire prevention, and volunteer leadership. The Academy offers courses at the training facility and through regional offices and distance learning.
Agency: U.S. Fire Administration (FEMA)
Phone: (800) 238-3358 ext. 1035, or (301) 447-1035
Metropolitan Medical Response Systems (MMRS): provides grants to existing local emergency response capabilities in metropolitan areas. MMRS encourages grant recipients to allocate funds toward collaborative initiatives between likely responders to a mass casualty event, including fire and emergency medical systems, public health, hospitals, national guard, law enforcement and emergency management.
Agency: Office of Emergency Preparedness (HHS)
Phone: (301) 443-1167
Web site: http://mmrs.fema.gov/
Training
State and Local Domestic Preparedness Training and Technical Assistance Program: provides grants to state and local training programs for terrorist preparedness with a specific focus on weapons of mass destruction, such as nuclear, biological, chemical and explosive devices.
Agency: Office of Domestic Preparedness (Department of Justice)
Phone: (800) 368-6498
Web site: www.ojp.usdoj.gov/odp/
State and Local Domestic Preparedness Exercise Support: offers grants and technical assistance for conducting terrorist attack simulation exercises involving weapons of mass destructions. Exercises and simulations can be conducted on local, regional, state or national scale.
Agency: Office for Domestic Preparedness
Phone: (800) 368-6498
First Responder Counter-Terrorism Training Assistance: provides grants to state fire training systems for the purpose of improving first responders capability to manage the consequences of terrorist attacks.
Agency: U.S. Fire Administration (FEMA)
Phone: (301) 447-1533
Web site: www.usfa.fema.gov/grants/afgp/sfts_grants.shtm
State Fire Training System Grants: are available to state-level training systems in an effort to deliver National Fire Academy courses and programs.
Agency: U.S. Fire Administration (FEMA)
Phone: (301) 447-1376
Equipment
State Domestic Preparedness Equipment Support Program: provides grants to states for the purpose of purchasing specialized equipment for responding to terrorist attacks involving weapons of mass destruction. Funds are allocated to state localities based on pre-approved plans for disseminating equipment and specialized training.
Agency: Office for Domestic Preparedness (Department of Justice)
Phone: (800) 368-6498
Web site: www.ojp.usdoj.gov/odp/welcome.html
Hazardous Materials Assistance Program: offers grants and technical assistance to states, which may be distributed to local or tribal governments for training for response to oil and hazardous materials incidents. This program is organized by FEMA, the Department of Transportation, and the Environmental Protection Agency.
Agency: Federal Emergency Management Agency
Phone: (301) 447-1009
Web site: www.federalgrantswire.com/hazardous_materials_ assistance_program.html
Assistance to Fire Fighters Grant Program (FIRE grants): awards grants to fire departments for general training in firefighter safety and effectiveness for firefighters and emergency medical technicians.
Agency: U.S. Fire Administration (FEMA)
Phone: (866) 274-0960 or (301) 447-1608
Web site: www.usfa.fema.gov/grants/
Law Enforcement
State and Local Anti-Terrorism Training: provides training and technical assistance for state and local law enforcement personnel. This program focuses on four goals: improving knowledge of "political" extremist movements; disseminating information regarding law enforcement preparedness; providing general planning orientation to state and local law enforcement on crisis and consequence management and maintain and update domestic terrorism database.
Agency: Office for Domestic Preparedness
Phone: (800) 368-6498
Web site: www.ojp.usdoj.gov/odp/welcome.html
Local Law Enforcement Block Grant: offers formula grants for law enforcement improvements that can be categorized by four types of enhancement activity. Eligible activities include: purchasing technology and equipment for improving law enforcement functions; improving staff management through training and hiring; boosting security at areas of high risk; building multijurisdictional task forces for preventing and controlling crime.
Agency: Bureau of Justice Assistance (DOJ)
Phone: (888) 549-9901, option 4
Web site: www.ojp.usdoj.gov/BJA/grant/llebg_app.html
Public Health and Medical Community
HHS Office of Public Health Preparedness (OPHP): OPHP leads the Department of Health and Human Services' efforts to prepare for, protect against, respond to, and recover from all acts of bioterrorism and other public health emergencies that affect the civilian population. OPHP also coordinates the Department’s bioterrorism preparedness funding for state and local health departments. The fiscal year 2002 bioterrorism preparedness funding for states and localities can be viewed at the OPHP website.
Agency: Department of Health and Human Services
Phone: (202) 401-4862
Web site: www.hhs.gov/ophep/
Public Health Preparedness and Response for Bioterrorism: awards formula grants to state and local health departments to improve education and training. The program focuses on the improvement of preparedness planning and readiness assessment, expanding disease surveillance and epidemiological capacity, strengthening lab capacity, and establishing a secure communications network.
Agency: Center for Disease Control and Prevention (HHS)
Phone: (770) 488-2740Â
Bioterrorism Hospital Preparedness Program: provides formula grants to state and territorial health departments to advance hospital capabilities for responding to bioterrorism attacks and other public health emergencies. Funding is allocated for regional hospital preparedness planning, recruiting and training emergency personnel and upgrading hospital infrastructure.
Agency: Health Resources and Services Administration
Phone: (301) 443-4996
U.S. Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases - Training for Public Health Professionals: provides training for public health professionals through on-site courses at the USAMRIID facility, satellite broadcasts and other distance learning mechanisms. Courses will focus on identifying signs of bioterrorism attacks, planning for mass casualties, and preventing the spread of disease.
Agency: U.S. Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Disease (DOD)
Phone: (410) 436-2230 or (410) 436-3393
Web site: www.usamriid.army.mil/education/index.html