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FEMA Announces $63M in EOC Grants (9/15/08)
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security's (DHS) Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) announced about $63 million in grant awards to improve emergency management and preparedness capabilities under the new Emergency Operations Centers (EOC) Grant Program and the new Interoperable Emergency Communications Grant Program (IECGP).

More than $14.5 million in fiscal year (FY) 2008 EOC grant awards will help address identified deficiencies and needs to support flexible, sustainable, secure and interoperable EOCs. Fully capable emergency operations facilities at the state, local and tribal levels are essential to a comprehensive national emergency management system, ensuring continuity of both operations and government in major disasters, whether natural or man made.

The FY 2008 IECGP awards $48.5 million to improve interoperable emergency communications for response to natural disasters, acts of terrorism and other man-made disasters. IECGP funding will assist states and territories in implementing their components of the statewide communications interoperability plans (SCIPs) and aligning priorities with the goals outlined in the national emergency communications plan.

The EOC funds are to be used over a 36-month period for EOC construction projects and are limited to $1 million for new construction or $250,000 for renovation projects, and one project per facility. Twenty states and jurisdictions were awarded funds for projects at 22 facilities. Grantees were required to meet a 25-percent cost share cash or in-kind match requirement.

IECGP funding allocations were announced in June 2008; funds are expected to be awarded by Sept. 30. To date, DHS has spent $3.9 billion in grants to improve interoperable communications.