NORTH CAROLINA AWARDS $54 MILLION IN TERRORISM PREPAREDNESS FUNDS 

RALEIGH – The N.C. Department of Crime Control and Public Safety (CCPS) announced the award of nearly $54 million dollars in federal terrorism preparedness funds to first responders in North Carolina.

CCPS Secretary Bryan Beatty said the majority of the funding will go to expand emergency radio communication systems for first responders across the state. North Carolina’s plan to build the 800 MHz communications network is called VIPER or Voice Interoperability Plan for Emergency Responders.

“One of the biggest public safety needs in North Carolina is an interoperable communications system so that firemen, police officers and emergency medical personnel will be able to talk to each other when lives are at risk,” Beatty said. “Saving a life may literally depend on whether one agency can talk to another when seconds count.”

The $54 million is the state’s allocation of the fiscal year 2004 Department of Homeland Security Office for Domestic Preparedness funds. Under federal rules, 80 percent of the funds are disbursed to local government agencies to purchase equipment, conduct training and hold exercises to improve terrorism preparedness. The 80 percent local share of the FY 2004 grant allocation is $41 million. The other 20 percent, or $13 million, is for use by state agencies.

The VIPER project is estimated to cost just under $200 million and take about five years to complete, but state officials believe they can significantly reduce the cost by sharing communications tower space with local governments and private industry. Currently, more than 100 local governments in North Carolina have already invested in 800 MHz radio equipment. The state plan will maximize those investments to expand interoperable communications statewide.

Leaders of the state’s public safety and local government associations were consulted about the use of the 2004 federal funds and all agreed that interoperability was the top priority. The organizations included the N.C. Emergency Management Association, Metro Fire Chiefs, N.C. Sheriffs Association, N.C. Police Chiefs Association, Metropolitan Coalition, N.C. League of Municipalities and N.C. Association of County Commissioners.

Together with the 2002 Department of Justice terrorism grants and the Department of Homeland Security grants for 2003 and 2004, CCPS is administering more than $113 million in federal grant funds to improve terrorism preparedness for local emergency responders.

The federal grants are done on a reimbursement basis, meaning the county first has to purchase the equipment, and then file a report to receive reimbursement funds. The federal government is also providing money for training and exercises using the new equipment.

Attached is a list of the agencies receiving 2004 Homeland Security grants, the amount of the grant and a brief description of each VIPER project. Also attached is a chart showing the distribution of the other half of the local government share of 2004 Homeland Security grants, which were allocated to the counties on a per capita basis to be used by local first responder agencies for needs they identified.

2004 Per Capita Grant Allocation

2004 VIPER Grant Awards