News
Tulsa Area Gets $2.16 Million for Enhahced Homeland Security Efforts
The Tulsa metropolitan area will soon get $2,160,500 to enhance
communications, planning and capabilities for fire, police and
medical emergency agencies through the U.S. Department of Homeland
Security's Urban Areas Security Initiative.
Sixty-two urban areas nationwide are eligible to receive funding
through the program this fiscal year. Tulsa is one of only two
cities added to the program this year.
"This is welcome news for the Tulsa area," said Mayor Kathy
Taylor. "Police and Fire Departments, both in Tulsa and surrounding
communities, are always seeking ways to improve their
effectiveness. These federal funds will enable them to be
more ready to deal with disasters of any kind."
"The Tulsa area's leadership in this area has helped us be added
to this vital program," the mayor said.
The UASI program focuses on enhancing regional preparedness in
major metropolitan areas. The UASI program directly supports the
National Priority on expanding regional collaboration in the
National Preparedness Guidelines and is intended to assist
participating jurisdictions in developing integrated regional
systems for prevention, protection, response, and recovery.
City of Tulsa Homeland Security Chief Dennis Beyer said that
local law enforcement agencies, fire departments, the Emergency
Medical Services Autority and other metro organizations formed a
work group and committees as required by Homeland Security in order
to secure UASI funding.
The work group must submit justification to show that funded
projects comply with the priorities of the federal agency. Those
priorities include enhancing communications, technical knowledge,
equipment and programs to help communities be better prepared to
deal with both natural disasters and things like terrorist
attacks.
The actual distribution of funds will be later this summer,
Beyer said. After the money is received, the local work group
will have 45 days to obligate the funds to specific programs.
Twenty-five percent of the money is earmarked for
law-enforcement projects aimed at terrorism prevention, including
enhancing intelligence gathering and dissemination among
appropriate government entities.
