The CAPCOG Executive Committee at its March meeting approved a prioritized list of 30 Homeland Security projects, 13 of which are anticipated to receive funding through the state after the Officer of the Governor makes the final selection. Historically, the CAPCOG region has received about $1.5 million from the State Homeland Security Program grants. The project awards should be announced in August.
“Every project on the list is valuable but those with the highest priority are those that strengthen the region’s capabilities the most to respond to terroristic incidents beyond what a single jurisdiction could do,” said Martin Ritchey, CAPCOG Homeland Security director.
Each year CAPCOG relies on emergency management and other public safety experts from jurisdictions across the region to help prioritize projects submitted for funding. CAPCOG’s Homeland Security Task Force and its subcommittees ranked each project based on its nexus to terrorism; its ability to fill gaps identified in the regional State Preparedness Report; its ability to demonstrate a regional approach to preparedness, response, recovery and mitigation. The projects also were ranked on their ability to either sustain, build, or expand existing programs. The highest priority projects this year included training programs, specialty team operations and equipment maintenance and purchases. CAPCOG’s funding estimate is based on previous years’ awards. In 2019, CAPCOG area projects received about $1.5 million from the program. Projects requesting funding during the 2020 process were just less than $6 million. CAPCOG also submitted a project to the state’s new Interoperable Communications Grant Program; the project estimated at $2.8 million improves communication towers in Blanco and Bastrop counties.
Read more about the grant process.
