October 20, 2009

Washington, D.C. – Nevada Senator Harry Reid today hailed the passage of the Department of Homeland Security Appropriations bill that will bring the state more than $13.9 million for projects that will create jobs and help support Nevada’s role in keeping our country safe and responding to emergencies.
                                     
“It’s important that Nevada is prepared for any unfortunate man-made or natural disaster that may occur” Reid said.  “These funds will create jobs that go a long way toward ensuring Nevada is ready to deal with problems quickly and effectively.”
 
A breakdown of the projects is as follows:

- Project: The National Domestic Preparedness Consortium (NDPC)
Requestor: The Nevada Test Site (NTS)
Location: Nye County, NV
Amount: $12,875,000
Description: Funding would support federally approved emergency responder training at the Nevada Test Site.  NTS is one of four members of the National Domestic Preparedness Consortium (working jointly with the Center for Domestic Preparedness) which provide federally approved emergency responder training.  This is an ongoing program included in the President's Budget.

- Project:  Pre-Disaster Mitigation for Wildfires
Requestor: The City of Reno
Location: Reno, NV
Amount: $500,000
Description:  Funding would support the Reno Fire Department’s efforts to help residents take preventative measures to stop the spread of wildfire.  This is a federal responsibility because many wildfires begin on federal land and spread to private land.
 
- Project: Emergency Operations Center
Requestor: The City of Las Vegas
Location: Las Vegas, NV
Amount $600,000
Description: Funding will support the design and planning for an Emergency Operations Center (EOC) for first responders and law enforcement officials in Southern Nevada.  Such a facility is necessary to help coordinate emergency response efforts in the event of a disaster.