The current formula for distributing federal homeland security do...
The current formula for distributing federal homeland security dollars to first responders isn’t meeting the telecommunications and other needs of localities, several lawmakers said at a hearing of the House Select Committee on Homeland Security Thurs. Rep. Thompson (D-Miss.)…
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said the Dept. of Homeland Security was “not assessing interoperability problems” and the current system of funding was “broken.” Committee Chmn. Cox (R-Cal.) said funding was “not reaching first responders effectively… These funds can no longer be distributed on political formulas,” and should be “based on real risk of attack.” A system that allocates $5 per person in Cal. and $35 per person in Wyo. “isn’t working,” he said. Cox said reducing the number of steps for allocating funds would “vastly speed up the process.” Ranking Democrat Turner (Tex.) said “the time for comprehensive change in our preparedness programs is now,” describing his plan to establish a “one-stop shop” for federal grants that emphasized telecommunications interoperability concerns. Jamie Metzel, project dir. for the Council on Foreign Relations Independent Task Force on Emergency Responders, told the Committee: “The high estimate for establishing interoperable communications was $18 billion over 5 years, but we used a much lower number of $6.8 billion” and “America will roughly fall $98.4 billion short of meeting critical emergency responder needs over the next 5 years.” Speaking for the National Governor’s Assn., Gov. Mitt Romney (R-Mass.) said: “We can best ensure that we are able to invest wisely… based on a comprehensive and statewide plan.” George Jaramillo, asst. sheriff, Orange County, Cal., said: “I would reexamine the process that is being used to fund these grants and move federal dollars out to the states… I cannot emphasize enough how the lengthy process is creating difficulties.”