Nearly $7 billion going to states and cities.

• Author: Kennedy, Harold
• Position: Security beat: homeland defense briefs

The Department of Homeland Security plans to issue $6.9 billion in grants to state and local governments in fiscal year 2004, according to a report by INPUT, a consulting service based in Reston, Va. That's half a billion dollars less than the $7.4 billion that the department provided in 2003, INPUT said.

More than half of the 2004 money--$3.7 billion--will be distributed through four major DHS programs. These include State Homeland Security Grants I and II, Assistance to Firefighters and the Urban Areas Security Initiative.

The SHSG programs provide month for states to buy first-responder equipment, including:

* Personal protective gear.

* Medical and pharmaceutical supplies.

* Chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear, explosive-detection and decontamination equipment.

* Software and other technologies that improve abilities to deter or respond to terrorist attacks.

The 10 states receiving the most funding in 2003 were: California, $259 million; New York, $170 million; Texas, $137.3 million; Florida, $135.9 million; Illinois, $108.9 million; Pennsylvania, $107.3 million; Ohio, $101.1 million; Michigan, $91.9 million; Georgia, $89.3 million, and New Jersey, $82 million.

Almost all of the $750 million allocated for assistance to firefighters in 2003 has been awarded to more than 8,500 local fire departments around the country. While awards continue to be made on the 2003 program, the department has begun receiving applications for the 2004 program.

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