Today, NYS Senator Lea Webb announced $414,127 in funding through the State Homeland Security Program and Emergency Management Performance Grant (EMPG) for Senate District 52. This funding was provided by the Federal Emergency Management Agency. Utilization can include planning, organization, equipment, training and exercise activities which are critical to sustaining and improving community prevention, protection, response, and recovery capabilities. The New York State Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services manages these programs in close coordination with local stakeholders. 

Said Senator Lea Webb, “As we battle with the ongoing impacts of climate change, our rural communities are in desperate need of financial support to help prepare their infrastructure for severe weather events. Funding for emergency preparedness programs has truly never been more important. I am thankful for this funding and look forward to supporting our rural municipalities while they work to prepare our communities for inclement weather.” 

The State Homeland Security Program provides funding to prevent, protect against, respond to, and recover from acts of terrorism and other catastrophic disasters. The Emergency Management Performance Grant (EMPG) is awarded to county and emergency management agencies in New York State to support planning and operational readiness for disaster response. This funding assists efforts ranging from development and implementation of training and exercises to acquiring emergency response resources at the county level.

The following awards were made throughout Senate District 52: 

• Broome County: $195,570 through the State Homeland Security Program and $67,105 through the Emergency Management Performance Grant (EMPG)
• Cortland County: $32,149 through the State Homeland Security Program and $19,632 through the Emergency Management Performance Grant (EMPG)
• Tompkins County: $61,618 through the State Homeland Security Program and $38,053 through the Emergency Management Performance Grant (EMPG)