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GARLAND
POLICY REPORT
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Work Session Item 3.g. |
| City Council Work Session Agenda |
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| ISSUE |
| The Department of Homeland Security Grant Program (HSGP) is managed, at the state level, by the Office of the Governor (OOG). As has been the case for many years, the OOG requires jurisdictions applying for HSGP funding to have a Council-approved resolution each year prior to utilizing awarded funds which identifies the submitted projects as well as the authorized official to manage the administration of the grant. |
| OPTIONS |
- Approve a resolution to support the 2022 Homeland Security Grant Program (HSGP) application.
- Reject acceptance of the 2022 Homeland Security Grant Program awards.
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| RECOMMENDATION |
The Office of Emergency Management (OEM) staff recommends support of the HSGP application to gain access to grant funding. The resolution will allow the City of Garland to acquire funding to help support and improve public safety response and recovery capabilities. This 2022 UASI funding will be used to purchase resources to support the following Garland projects:
- 2022 SHSP LETPA-Garland-EOD Unknown Detection Technologies
- Funding this project will allow the Garland Police Department Bomb Squad to purchase a handheld chemical detector to identify unknown chemical substances allowing GPD to accurately assess evacuation distances or shelter-in-place options and identify render safe options.
- 2022 SHSP Regular-Garland-SWAT Communications Equipment
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 Funding this regional project will assist in building and sustaining the Garland Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) team by addressing identified operational communications issues. The purchase of this communication equipment will enhance the capability of protecting team members during coordinated and complex terroristic attacks, hostage situations, and other criminal activity by allowing for real-time, secure communications between tactical supervisors and all members while on scene.
- 2022 UASI – Garland - Community Preparedness and Resiliency
- Funding this project will enhance community preparedness and resiliency city-wide by providing salary and benefits for a Community Preparedness and Resilience Coordinator. Funding this position is vital to enable Garland Emergency Management to provide critical planning, community engagement preparedness, and outreach education programs enhancing local and regional resilience. The position will maintain/implement resiliency-based plans: Hazard Mitigation Action Plan, Continuity of Operations Plan: Securing CI/KR lists, leveraging resilience tools for site surveys to assess resilience per site, State & DHS data calls, develop a Vital Records access/maintenance process.
- 2022 UASI Garland – DVE Response Enhancement
- This project will fund an Unmanned Aircraft System to conduct protective surveillance of Domestic Violent Extremist actors on populated areas, soft targets, special events, and other high-impact, high-consequence infrastructure targets by providing immediate on-scene intelligence directly accessible to responders.
- 2022 UASI Garland – Water Search & Rescue Team Enhancement
- Funding this project will allow procurement of a surface boat, outboard motor, trailer, and night vision equipment to enhance Garland Fire Department’s current Swiftwater Search and Rescue capabilities to provide shore and boat-based water rescue for humans and animals, transport to the nearest location for secondary transport, support urban search and rescue in water environments and respond to water-based hazardous materials incidents.
This item will be scheduled for formal consideration at the January 10, 2023 Regular Meeting. |
| BACKGROUND |
The primary purpose of the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS)/Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) Homeland Security Grant Program (HSGP) is to provide funding to states, territories, urban areas, and other local and tribal governments to prevent, protect against, mitigate, respond to, and recover from potential terrorist attacks and other hazards. HSGP plays an important role in the implementation of the National Preparedness System by supporting the building, sustainment and delivery of core capabilities essential to achieving the National Preparedness Goal of a secure and resilient Nation. Among the five noted mission areas, Prevention, Protection, Mitigation, Response, and Recovery, HSGP supports the goal to Strengthen National
Preparedness and Resilience.
The UASI program funds address the unique risk-driven and capabilities-based planning, organization, equipment, training, and exercise needs of high-threat, high-density Urban Areas based on the capabilities identified during the THIRA process and associated assessment efforts. The funds also assist them in building an enhanced and sustainable capacity to prevent, protect against, mitigate, respond to, and recover from acts of terrorism. DHS/FEMA requires at least 30 percent (30%) of the combined HSGP funds allocated under SHSP and UASI are dedicated towards Law Enforcement Terrorism Prevention Activities (LETPA), per section 2006 of the Homeland Security Act of 2002, as amended (6 U.S.C. 607). This requirement is met by mandating all SHSP and UASI recipients to ensure that at least 30% of the combined HSGP funds allocated under SHSP and UASI are dedicated towards LETPA initiatives. Activities eligible for use of law-enforcement-focused funds are outlined in the National Prevention Framework. |
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