Virginia Announces $10 Million in Federal Funds for Homeland Security Grant Awards

Published: September 16, 2020

RICHMOND—On behalf of the Secretary of Public Safety and Homeland Security, the Virginia Department of Emergency Management (VDEM) today announced more than $10 million in Homeland Security Grant Awards to enhance emergency preparedness and security throughout the Commonwealth of Virginia. Each year, VDEM coordinates an annual stakeholder-driven review process to allocate and administer these funds that support a wide array of emergency preparedness and security operations, equipment replacement, training, planning and exercise programs by local governments and entities. Grant allocations will be made available tomorrow, September 17, 2020.

“I am proud of this substantial investment in emergency preparedness, training, and security processes across the Commonwealth,” said the Secretary of Public Safety and Homeland Security Brian J. Moran. “VDEM continues to successfully engage with local stakeholders and federal agencies to bring in the resources necessary to protect the health and safety of all Virginians.”

Competitive Grants

The State Homeland Security Program (SHSP) is one component of six programs announced by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) in June. VDEM received 153 grant requests totaling nearly $14.4 million for the competitive portion of these federal funds. Sixty-four projects were awarded a total of $3.7 million from competitive SHSP funds. The Virginia Modeling and Simulation Center (VMASC) at Old Dominion University manages a peer-review process conducted by Virginia’s public safety stakeholders for competitive grants, and scores proposals based upon benefit-cost ratios. Awards fund a diverse group of programs such as community outreach and preparedness programs, interoperability efforts, sheltering, equipment enhancement, and exercises.

Emergency managers throughout Virginia have worked to become more strategic about allocating our limited funding to meet the greatest needs with VDEM support. Nearly 200 local leaders from the fields of emergency management, law enforcement, fire and rescue, and emergency medical services, representing communities throughout Virginia, participated in evaluating potential projects to allocate this limited funding that seeks to provide the most benefit.

FEMA has implemented four national priority services areas for the FY2020 funding cycle. The new federal requirements necessitate a 5% contribution from each of the following four national priority investment areas:

• Enhancing Cyber Security (including election security) – 5%
  • Enhancing protection of soft targets/crowded places – 5%
  • Enhancing information and intelligence sharing – 5%
  • Addressing emergent threats (such as unmanned aerial systems and weapons of mass destruction) – 5%

Due to the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, FEMA made accommodations to states during the application submissions, but have placed a hold on funding for projects that are identified as meeting a national priority in the project portfolio in the total of $1.7 million for SHSP. This hold is anticipated to remain until the Spring of 2021.

Non-Competitive Grants

Public safety stakeholders will be allocated $2.5 million in non-competitive grants from this year’s SHSP program to fund 28 projects sustaining 12 hazardous materials teams, seven technical rescue teams, four incident management teams, five radio communications caches, and the Virginia Fusion Center.

Hampton Roads Urban Area Security Initiative (HR UASI)

$2.8 million was awarded to HR UASI to address the unique needs of this high-threat, high-density urban area. As with SHSP funds, UASI funds of $700,000 will be placed on hold for projects that are identified as meeting one of the four national priorities.

Non-Profit Security Grant

This grant provides funding support for target hardening and other physical security enhancements and activities to eligible nonprofit organizations that are at high risk of a terrorist attack in Virginia. VDEM received 26 project applications from both the statewide and Hampton Roads program totaling just over $1.3 million, with $991k million being funded by FEMA.

Competitive Projects – $3.7M

Hampton Roads Urban Area Projects – $2.8M

Non-Competitive Projects – $2.5M

Non Profit Security Grant Programs – $991K

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