Community Preparedness

A primary mission area of the Division of Emergency Management and Homeland Security (DEMHS) is enhancing community preparedness across Connecticut. This includes working with local municipalities, tribal governments, school districts, non-profit organizations, regional partnerships and regional planning organizations to plan for all-hazard situations and utilize financial resources to sustain and grow local capacity and capability before, during and after a disaster event.

Community Preparedness Grants

Financial incentives such as grants ensure local communities can expand their local emergency management program. Community preparedness grants, which include both federal and state funded programs, support citizens and first responders in Connecticut. These funding opportunities encourage community collaboration for building, sustaining, and improving our capability to prepare for, protect against, respond to, recover from, and mitigate all hazards.

Federally Funded Programs: Emergency Management Performance Grant This federal funding directly supports the emergency management community.  This critical assistance sustains and enhances state and local emergency management capabilities. Homeland Security Grant Program: This program provides funding to reduce or prevent damage from natural disasters such as flooding and high winds.  HMGP funding is available following a presidentially declared disaster. Non-Profit Security Grant Program: This program provides funding to support non-profit security infrastructure within the community.

State Funded Programs: Nuclear Safety Emergency Program This program provides funding for the Radiological Emergency Preparedness and Response Program. School Security Competitive Grant Program This program provides public and non-public schools with funding to improve security infrastructure. Municipal Grant Program This program consists of funding approved by OPM for public safety and emergency management infrastructure improvements at the local level (STEAP, Grants-In-Aid etc.). All funding decisions and applications are handled by the Office of Policy and Management.