Jacksonville is one of eight local governments receiving grant funding from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) for assistance in developing innovative regional solutions for emergency preparedness. The City has been awarded $1,401,975 to support logistics and supply chain operations providing food, water, and shelter to area residents following a disaster.
“This grant award will further enhance our region’s preparedness efforts,” said Mayor Lenny Curry. “Following Matthew and Irma, I joined first responders in neighborhoods as they distributed food and water to communities in need throughout Jacksonville. This grant will further enhance these efforts and ensure that we are even better prepared. Thank you to Congressman John Rutherford and our legislative delegation for your efforts to secure these needed funds for our region.”
FEMA awarded more than $10 million as part of their Fiscal Year 2019 Regional Catastrophic Preparedness Grant Program. The funding supports local governments in the development and implementation of programs to better prepare for issues related to catastrophic incidents and build community resiliency. The 2019 grant program is focused on planning, organization, training and exercises to build regional capabilities in
FEMA’s Food, Water and Sheltering Community Lifeline.
“I am pleased that FEMA has awarded Jacksonville $1.4 million to build regional capacity to manage catastrophic incidents,” said Congressman John Rutherford. “One of only eight cities chosen to receive this federal support, Jacksonville has faced recent hurricanes such as Matthew and Irma, suffers from regular flooding, and is home to precious military installations that we must protect from threats. These funds will ensure our coastal communities are safeguarded and the Northeast Florida region will take a major, national lead in solving issues related to catastrophic incidents.”
Jacksonville’s $1.4 million grant will support the development of a Regional Logistics and Supply Chain Management (RLSCM) Resilience Initiative Project. Two full-time employees will be hired to collaborate with area counties to enhance regional logistics, and supply chain capacity and resilience through coordinated planning and training opportunities.
Funding was awarded to communities located within the 100 most populous Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSAs) as determined by the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2018 population estimates. The selected projects are regional, replicable and must be sustained in subsequent years without federal resources.