Homeland security grants received

Nevada has received a total of $19.3 million from the federal government for homeland security programs this fiscal year.

Kamala Carmazzi of the Division of Emergency Management said $18.1 million will go toward specific projects including $7 million for the Nevada Fusion Centers, which are designed to coordinate different agencies and their efforts during an emergency. The remaining $1.2 million pays for planning, training, exercise officers, grants management and fiscal staff to operate the programs.

The funding is provided in five different categories: State Homeland Security, the Urban Area Security Initiative, Law Enforcement Terrorism Prevention, the Citizen Core Program and the Metropolitan Medical Response System.

It is used for a dozen different statewide programs including the fusion centers, medical surge capacity, service for special needs populations, transportation resources and evacuation, mass care and shelter-in-place planning among others.

In addition to the homeland security funding for the year, she said Nevada is slated to receive $12 million from the Department of Commerce for development of the inter-operable communications system. Agencies across the state have agreed the ability to communicate with each other during an emergency is a top priority.

• Contact reporter Geoff Dornan at gdornan@nevadaappeal.com or 687-8750.