DISCUSSION
Since June 30, 2009, HHSA-PH has been the lead agency in Shasta County for the HSGP. The grant amount for FY 2017-18 is anticipated to be $257,264. As has been true since the inception, a five member panel consisting of the Health Officer, the Sheriff, a police chief, the County Fire Chief, and a municipal Fire Chief must agree on the proposed expenditures to be submitted in the application. The HHSA – Public Health Branch will return to the Board after the grant is approved by the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services (Cal-OES) to seek acceptance of the HSGP grant funds and authorize the specific purchases for County FY 2017 - 2018.
The Office of Homeland Security (OHS) requires that a resolution designating officials that are authorized by the Board to sign the Homeland Security Grant Programs (HSGP) application be submitted each year as part of the application process. Each year since 2002, the Board has adopted a resolution authorizing appropriate staff in the Sheriff’s Office of Emergency Services, and since 2009, appropriate staff at the Health and Human Services Agency - Public Health Branch (HHSA-PH), to apply for funding from the HSGP. Funds from this allocation provide resources for local law enforcement agencies, fire agencies, and HHSA-PH to obtain equipment and training related to terrorism and emergency preparedness. The absence of an updated resolution would prevent the County from receiving the Federal Fiscal Year (FFY) 2017 Homeland Security Grant allocation. Consequently, equipment and programs benefitting various agencies in the County would not be funded.
Due to an accelerated timeline from Cal-OES for HSGP FFY 2017, local applications for HSGP 2017 funds are due to Cal-OES by January 15, 2017. |