Feds give Nevada disaster money

Monday, April 21, 2003 | 10:58 a.m.

CARSON CITY -- A $1.9 million federal grant will help state and local government agencies in Nevada prepare to deal with terrorism, fires, floods and other emergencies.

Frank Siracusa, director of the state Emergency Management Agency, said Friday the money will help cover staff and operational costs of state, county and city emergency responders.

For instance, he said, the grant will pay half of the salaries of 14 people in the state emergency management office and four people in the Clark County emergency preparedness office.

Siracusa said it would be 30 days before he has any breakdown on how much would go to each of the local governments. He said it would be based on population and on the potential emergencies that might arise.

Every county will get some grant money, he said.

"This isn't just for terrorism," Siracusa said. In addition to defraying the current cost of emergency management staff, some of the money will go for training.

Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge said Friday the Emergency Preparedness and Response Directorate is making the grant to Nevada "for all-hazards emergency management activities."

The money allows agencies to plan, train, exercise and provide the facilities needed to coordinate all emergency services in response to disaster of all kinds, Michael Brown, undersecretary of emergency preparedness and response, said.

"This grant will give Nevada and its local communities the flexibility to allocate funds according to risk and vulnerabilities and to address the most urgent state and local needs in disaster mitigation, preparedness, response and recovery," he said.