Iowa gets federal money to help with Homeland Security issues

The federal department of homeland security is sending Iowa 20-million dollars for disaster preparedness. The state’s Emergency Management Division learned about it just last night, and chief of staff David Miller says 17-point-five million will go to first-responders, like local police and firefighters…but this time it’s not for buying new gear.It’ll go for planning, training issues like learning to use some of the equipment the departments have bought and testing the plans they’ve created. Miller says some of the money will be used for cyber-security, and upgrading the state’s communication system. And the final two and-a-half million will reimburse local law enforcement agencies for their homeland security work during the recent military engagement in Iraq. During the recent war, the local departments were asked to protect Mississippi River bridges, like those in Clinton and Fort Madison, and this covers their costs from providing that security and other special duty at home during “Operation Liberty Shield.”