HSEMD Funding
Federal funding is vital to the Iowa Homeland Security and Emergency Management Division's operations and programs. These dollars fund a major portion of the planning, training and exercise programs, major equipment procurements, day-to-day operations, and local emergency management response capabilities. Federal funding received by HSEMD has tremendous economic impact to the State of Iowa and local communities.
In SFY 2007, HSEMD total revenues were $50.5 million from federal and state governments, and the four nuclear power plants located within or adjacent to Iowa. Of those revenues, $30.2 million, or 60 percent, is from federal sources. HSEMD’s return on investment of the state’s approximately $1.6 million in SFY 2007 was 22.2 to 1.
Homeland Security Funding Benefits Our Communities and Our State
Nearly 80 percent of homeland security funds that have come to Iowa have been passed to local agencies and has been used for equipment and to improve planning, training and exercise activities. The remaining state share of homeland security funds has been used to enhance the overall state emergency management system and directly support local responders. The many projects and initiatives the State of Iowa has undertaken have been highlighted in this report.
History of Federal Homeland Security Funding
Homeland security funding actually began with a 1999 to 2001 Department of Justice (DOJ) terrorism grant. Although that money was awarded for terrorism preparedness pre-9-11, the multi-year grant enabled states and local first responders to immediately begin building capacity to respond to the new threat environment post-9-11. Since that time, more than $100 million in homeland security funding has been allocated to Iowa, which has been used to improve capabilities to prevent, protect, respond to, and recover from not just acts of terrorism, but also from the natural and human-made disasters that affect Iowans each year.
However, homeland security funding for Iowa has decreased sharply over the past three years, making it difficult to sustain important programs and initiatives that not only make Iowa more prepared for a terrorism incident, but for any emergency or disaster.