March 28, 2007 — V.I. emergency responders have been given $36,551 in grants, the federal Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced Wednesday.
The grants help to ensure that law enforcement and emergency responders can acquire specialized equipment and training to meet their homeland security mission, according to a written statement from Homeland Security.
The V.I. government can use the money to buy personal protective equipment; thermal imaging, night vision, and video surveillance tools; chemical- and biological-detection tools; information technology and risk-management tools; and communications equipment.
The money will go to the V.I. Office of Homeland Security and St. Thomas Rescue.
The money is, of course, only a tiny fraction of grants given out by Homeland Security's Commercial Equipment Direct Assistance Program (CEDAP), which has doled out more than $34.6 million since October 2006 and more than $69.7 million in equipment and training to law enforcement and fire departments since 2005.
For more information on CEDAP and other DHS grant programs visit the DHS website.
