http://content.hamptonroads.com/story.cfm?story=117043&ran=210102&tref=po
High-threat label makes area eligible for grant money By JOHN WARREN, The Virginian-Pilot C January 4, 2007 Last updated: 11:52 PM After years of being passed over, Hampton Roads has received a designation that makes the region eligible for additional federal grants to prevent terror attacks . The Department of Homeland Security added Hampton Roads to its list of high-threat urban areas, Sen. John Warner said in a statement Wednesday. The designation means Hampton Roads can compete with the other 44 high-risk localities for $746.9 million in financ ing for added security measures - in addition to Department of Homeland Security money it's already eligible to receive. "It's good news and long overdue," said Arthur L. Collins, executive director of the Hampton Roads Planning District Commission. "We have a tremendous amount of port activity and vulnerability with our bridges and tunnels." In practical terms, Collins said, the designation could mean increased bridge and tunnel security and technology to improve communications among local, state and federal officials. "One of the best deterrents is to be able to quickly recover and restore operations," said Ed Merkle, director of port security and emergency operations for the Virginia Port Authority. "To do that, you need to have well-equipped first responders." Local officials were frustrated for four years as areas they believed were less deserving received the designation. Memphis, Tenn.; Baton Rouge, La.; and Louisville, Ky., became eligible for the grants while Hampton Roads - with its ports, tunnels, bridges and military bases - was not. Northern Virginia and Richmond also received the designation in years past. "We have wondered why some unthreatened communities in the middle of the U.S. received the grants and we didn't," Collins said. The money is in addition to the federal government's major Homeland Security grant program and grants available to police and fire departments. The 45 "high-risk" localities can apply for the additional money though the federal Urban Area Security Initiative. It's administered in Virginia through the Office of Commonwealth Preparedness. Merkle, a member of a state panel that advises that office, thinks the reason Hampton Roads did not mak e the cut in years past may have been that decisions were made city by city. "It was very important for Hampton Roads to be looked at as a region," Merkle said. Homeland Security also announced on Wednesday that Hampton Roads will be eligible for the $163.9 million Transit Security Grant Program, the $201 million Port Security Grant Program and the $31.5 million Metropolitan Medical Response Program. * Reach John Warren at (757) 446-2356 or [EMAIL PROTECTED] [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] -------------------------- Want to discuss this topic? Head on over to our discussion list, [EMAIL PROTECTED] -------------------------- Brooks Isoldi, editor [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.intellnet.org Post message: [email protected] Subscribe: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Unsubscribe: [EMAIL PROTECTED] *** FAIR USE NOTICE. This message contains copyrighted material whose use has not been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. OSINT, as a part of The Intelligence Network, is making it available without profit to OSINT YahooGroups members who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information in their efforts to advance the understanding of intelligence and law enforcement organizations, their activities, methods, techniques, human rights, civil liberties, social justice and other intelligence related issues, for non-profit research and educational purposes only. We believe that this constitutes a 'fair use' of the copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the U.S. Copyright Law. If you wish to use this copyrighted material for purposes of your own that go beyond 'fair use,' you must obtain permission from the copyright owner. For more information go to: http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/osint/ <*> Your email settings: Individual Email | Traditional <*> To change settings online go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/osint/join (Yahoo! ID required) <*> To change settings via email: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
