DHS announces 2007 grant levels for Infrastructure Protection Program

DHS yesterday announced the grant funding levels for the 2007 Infrastructure Protection Program. The five programs involved — the Transit Security Grant Program, the Port Security Grant Program, the Intercity Bus Security Grant Program, the Trucking Security Program, and the Buffer Zone Protection Program — fund a range of preparedness activities, including strengthening infrastructure against explosive attacks, preparedness, planning, equipment purchase, training, exercises, and security management and administration costs. Specific funding includes:

BULLETS

1. Transit Security Grant Program: $171,780,000 (2006: $143,240,948)

Purpose: TSGP provides grant funding to the nation’s key high-threat urban areas to enhance security measures for their critical transit infrastructure including bus, rail, and ferry systems. This year, the TSGP will also provide funding for Amtrak’s intercity rail operations between key, high-risk urban areas and extends funding eligibility to help increase the security of nineteen ferry systems in fourteen regions.

Eligible Applicants: Eight of the highest risk metropolitan area intracity bus and rail systems have been identified as Tier I (highest risk) agencies and allocated a fixed amount of funding based on the level of risk to their transportation systems. In addition, 29 other metropolitan areas are eligible for the FY07 TSGP as Tier II applicants. The Tier II agencies will compete for a portion of the total funds set aside for their tier.

2. Port Security Grant Program: $201,170,000 (2006: $168,052,500)

Purpose: PSGP funds are primarily intended to assist ports in enhancing risk management capabilities, enhanced domain awareness, capabilities to prevent, detect, respond to and recover from attacks involving IEDs and other nonconventional weapons, as well as training and exercises.

Eligible Applicants: Within Tier I, eight of the highest risk port regions have been identified and are eligible to apply for a fixed amount of funding based on risk. (In many cases, multiple port areas have been grouped together to reflect geographic proximity, shared risk, and acommon waterway.) Port areas not in Tier I are eligible to compete for funding within their designated categories as Tier II, III, or IV applicants.

3. Intercity Bus Security Grant Program: $11,640,000 (2006: $9,503,000)

Purpose: IBSGP seeks to assist owners and operators of fixed-route intercity and charter bus services in obtaining the resources required to support security measures such as enhanced planning, facility security upgrades, and vehicle and driver protection.

Eligible Applicants: Applicants with the largest fleets of over-the-road buses have been placed in Tier 1. All other applicants will be placed in Tier II. Funds will be awarded based on analysis of risk and the effectiveness of proposed investments by the applicants.

4.Trucking Security Program: $11,640,000 (2006: $4,801,500)

Purpose: TSP provides funding for the Highway Watch Program in order to continue a sustainable national program to enhance security and overall preparedness on our Nation’s highways.

Eligible Applicants: TSP will provide funding in the form of a cooperative

agreement directly to the American Trucking Associations for the continued modernization and management of this program.

5.Buffer Zone Protection Program: $48,500,000 (2006: $72,965,000)

Purpose: BZPP provides grant funding to build security and risk-management capabilities at the state and local level to secure chemical facilities, financial institutions, nuclear and electric power plants, dams, stadiums, and other high-risk/high-consequence facilities.

Eligible Applicants: Specific BZPP sites within forty-six states have been selected based on their level of risk and criticality. Each state with a BZPP site is eligible to submit applications for its local communities to participate in and receive funding under the FY07 BZPP.

-read details of the 2007 Infrastructure Protection Program in this DHS report (.pdf)