Federal funding may help area

By MICHAEL MARTZ
Richmond Times Dispatch

RICHMOND, Va. — The Richmond area didn't get much of the money, but it could benefit from new federal funding that will help Hampton Roads and Northern Virginia prepare for catastrophe.

Hampton Roads and the Washington area will receive a combined $15.9 million in new federal aid announced last week for regional programs to prepare for catastrophe, such as a hurricane or a terrorist attack.

Those kinds of events would force the evacuation of millions toward the Richmond area, which would benefit in advance from better planning for how to provide shelter. Robert P. Crouch Jr., assistant to the governor for commonwealth preparedness, is a happy man this week, after learning that the Department of Homeland Security will give the state about $24 million in homeland security and related grants this year.

The state will allocate most of that money to local governments and regional partnerships to pay for initiatives ranging from training to new equipment for the people who respond first in an emergency.

Some of the money, including about $331,000 in the Richmond area, is reserved for programs to improve medical response in an emergency with mass casualties.

Those grants are in addition to new funds for Richmond, Hampton Roads and the Washington area through the Urban Area Security Initiative. The Department of Homeland Security uses the program to funnel money to the 45 metropolitan areas with the highest risks and greatest needs.

The Richmond area will receive more than $1.7 million. Hampton Roads will receive $7.7 million, as well as $4.3 million from the new fund for catastrophe planning. Washington will receive more than $71 million, including the catastrophe planning aid.

"All in all, it was a pretty good day for Virginia," Crouch said yesterday.

The Hampton Roads Planning District Commission won its new grant funding by proposing initiatives for the region's 16 localities and seven others on Virginia's Northern Neck and North Carolina's Outer Banks.

The money will pay for the localities to plan for evacuation, shelter, and transportation - especially for people who can't evacuate on their own.

Security money

The Department of Homeland Security announced these grants last week:

$59.8 million for the Washington region and $7.7 million for Hampton Roads in urban security funds.

$11.6 million for the Washington region and $4.3 million for Hampton Roads specifically for catastrophe planning.

$21.8 million to be distributed by Virginia for local, regional and state security initiatives, including training and emergency exercises;

$1.72 million for the Richmond region in urban security initiative funds for catastrophe planning.

$1.9 million, including $331,000 for the Richmond area, to prepare for medical response to a disaster with mass casualties;

$733,363 in the Washington area and $14,888 in Norfolk in grants for security initiatives at non-profit institutions;

$331,000 to encourage residents' participation in emergency planning and response.

Copyright 2008 Richmond Newspapers, Inc.